NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR11CA084
Registry · N418PA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-181
Year of manufacture
2000 · 10 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-360-A1D (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20010109
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4F31E
Registrant of record
SKYWEST LEASING INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The student pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles while taxiing.
Factual narrative
After landing, the student pilot was cleared to taxi to the ramp area at his flight school. The student pilot stated that he was taxiing along the centerline and nearing the ramp area when he observed an airplane holding at an adjacent ramp area. He said that while taxiing in front of the airplane he did not think there was enough room to safely pass, so he maneuvered his airplane to the right to avoid the other airplane. After passing the airplane, the right wing tip hit a parked fuel truck. The airplane yawed to the right, contacted two other parked trucks, and came to a stop. The damage was reported to the NTSB on January 3, 2011, following the identification of structural damage to the right wing leading edge and rear carry through spar. After landing, the student pilot was cleared to taxi to the ramp area at his flight school. The student pilot stated that he was taxiing along the taxiway centerline and nearing the ramp area when he observed an airplane holding at an adjacent ramp area. He said that while taxiing in front of the airplane he did not think there was enough room to safely pass, so he maneuvered his airplane to the right to avoid the other airplane. After passing the airplane, the right wing tip hit a parked fuel truck. The airplane yawed to the right, contacted two other parked trucks, and came to a stop. The damage was reported to the NTSB approximately one month after the accident, following the identification of structural damage to the right wing leading edge and rear carry through spar. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Response/compensation - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-(general)-Pilot - C
- C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Task monitoring/vigilance-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2010_WPR11CA084.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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