- Date
- May 28, 2012, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hemet, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N216AFCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120528013019A
- Case key
- 83960
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to monitor and maintain clearance from an obstacle during taxi.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot landed the airplane and was taxiing to a fueling facility when he decided that he did not have sufficient time to get fuel and still return the airplane within the allotted rental time. He maneuvered the airplane to a parking area, performed a U-turn, and, while maneuvering the airplane toward the taxiway center line, he saw a lamp post to his left. He immediately applied brake and rudder control input, but the airplane skidded, and the left wing struck the pole. The left aft wing spar sustained substantial damage during the impact sequence. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot had just landed after completing a solo cross-country flight. He taxied the airplane, which was owned by a flight school, towards the ramp with the intention of using the restroom, and servicing the airplane with fuel. As he approached the fueling facility, he decided that he did not have sufficient time to get fuel, and still return the airplane within the allotted rental time, so he maneuvered the airplane to a parking area so he could perform a U-turn. After completing the turn, and while maneuvering the airplane back towards the taxi center line, he caught site of a lamp post to his left. He immediately applied brake and rudder control input, but the airplane skidded, and the left wing struck the pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aft wing spar during the impact sequence. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216AF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274165
- Airframe hours
- 16,216
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2012
- Departed
- KMYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- KHMT · Hemet, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KHMT · Hemet, runway 23, 4,314 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 3, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 37 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KRIV, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N216AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.