- Date
- March 20, 2013, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N421ERCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130320003499A
- Case key
- 86489
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 maintain clearance from an above-ground fuel tank while taxiing.
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 reported that while taxiing to the ramp on the parking apron instead of the taxiway, he misjudged the airplane's wing distance from an above-ground fuel tank. The airplane’s left wing contacted the fuel tank and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the ramp he misjudged the airplane's wing distance from the upper part of a fuel tank at the fueling station. The left wing contacted the tank and was substantially damaged. The pilot's taxi route was actually on the parking apron instead of the taxiway, which brought the airplane within close proximity to the fueling station. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N421ER
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9679
- Airframe hours
- 3,790
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School of Aeronautics
- Registered owner
- Westwind Aero Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2013 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E63 · Gila Bend Municipal Airport
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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 51 total · 51 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- BXK, 28 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 7, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.