- Date
- September 2, 2024, 01:15 local (08:15 UTC)
- Place
- Yuma, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3044UPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240902014109A
- Case key
- 195134
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain clearance from a fence during taxi operations.
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
According to the flight instructor, she was taxiing with a student when she took control and made a left turn to position the airplane between a fence and a fuel station. However, she reported that during the left turn, she misjudged the airplane’s clearance and the airplane’s left wing struck the fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The flight instructor reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3044U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843572
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 5,823.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bird Acquisition LLC DBA, doing business as AeroGuard Flight Training Center
- Registered owner
- Bird Acquisition LLC DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 25, 2024
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- YNL · Yuma, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KNYL · Yuma Marine Corps Air Station/Yuma International Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 853.4 total · 556.1 in this make and model · 740 as pilot in command · 147 in the last 90 days · 38.9 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 99 total · 99 in this make and model · 27.3 as pilot in command · 60.8 in the last 90 days · 9.8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 106 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- YNL, 40 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.