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ERA12CA382

2012-05-12 · Savannah, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SAV

N275LE has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44, built 2026), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual lookout while taxiing near a hangar, which resulted in airplane's right wingtip impacting the hangar door.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he taxied his airplane between a parked airplane to his left and a hangar to his right. After clearing the parked airplane, and as he was looking toward his left in anticipation of a turn in that direction, the right wingtip of his airplane struck the hangar door, incurring damage to the aft right wing spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, he taxied his airplane between a parked airplane to his left and a hangar to his right. After clearing the parked airplane, he was looking left in anticipation of a turn in that direction, and the right wingtip of his airplane struck the hangar door, incurring damage to the aft right wing spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Towing and taxiing-Taxiing-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incomplete action-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_ERA12CA382.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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