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WPR13CA158

2013-03-20 · Gila Bend, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport E63

Current FAA registration · N421ER

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2004 · 9 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20040820
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4FFCA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an above-ground fuel tank while taxiing.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the ramp he misjudged the airplane's wing distance from the upper part of a fuel tank at the fueling station. The left wing contacted the tank and was substantially damaged. The pilot's taxi route was actually on the parking apron instead of the taxiway, which brought the airplane within close proximity to the fueling station. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the ramp on the parking apron instead of the taxiway, he misjudged the airplane's wing distance from an above-ground fuel tank. The airplane’s left wing contacted the fuel tank and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Student pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground equipment-Not specified

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR13CA158.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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