NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX99LA309
Registry · N733WX
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA 172N
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19770207
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9D83A
Registrant of record
SPARTAN MARINE CO
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from obstacles during taxi in a confined space.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 1999, about 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N733WX, sustained substantial damage during taxi for takeoff at the McClennan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad, California. Plus One Flyers, Inc., was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was bound for Las Vegas, Nevada. The pilot stated the airplane was tied down in an area known as Cinema East. From this location an airplane was required to taxi down a road to gain access to the regular taxiway. He hit an unmarked telephone pole close to the road with the left wing tip. He stated the road was narrow, but had a stripe down its center that jogged to avoid the pole. He shut down the airplane to inspect the damage. He detected a small dent and noted a chipped section of a thick application of what he thought was putty from a previous repair. He also noted the wing end cap was cracked. Since the damage did not look severe, he proceeded to complete his planned round trip to Las Vegas. A subsequent maintenance inspection revealed the wing was displaced aft and the wing spar buckled. The airplane was tied down in an area from which it was required to taxi down a road to gain access to the regular taxiway. As the pilot taxied down the narrow road, the left wing tip hit an unmarked telephone pole that was close to the taxiway. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1999_LAX99LA309.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗