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LAX99LA117

1999-03-13 · RUBIDOUX, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RIR

N5346W has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (TEAM AIRCRAFT HI-MAX, built 1997), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from parked airplanes while taxiing due to his diverted attention.

Factual narrative

On March 13, 1999, at 1215 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, N5346W, owned and operated by the pilot, collided with three parked airplanes while taxiing for takeoff at the uncontrolled Flabob Airport, Rubidoux, California. Neither the commercial pilot nor his three passengers were injured during the planned local area personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which was being performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, while in the process of beginning an orientation flight for a youth group he became distracted with paperwork on the dashboard. His airplane's right wing impacted the unoccupied airplanes. In the pilot's completed report, he reported that the accident could have been prevented had he not diverted his attention while taxiing. According to the pilot, while taxiing for takeoff he became distracted with paperwork on the airplane's dashboard and failed to maintain an adequate clearance with other parked airplanes along the taxiway. The airplane's wing collided with three parked airplanes. In the pilot's completed report, he reported that the accident could have been prevented had he not diverted his attention while taxiing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1999_LAX99LA117.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.