Event WPR13LA331

Factual narrative

On July 13, 2013 at 1347 mountain standard time, a Diamond DA20-C1, N4111T, sustained substantial damage during a ground collision with a parked airplane, while taxiing prior to takeoff from Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona. The student pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was to depart on his first solo flight, and perform three full-stop, taxi back takeoffs and landings at FFZ. The flight instructor exited the airplane and planned on monitoring the student pilot with a company air band portable radio. The airplane began to taxi and shortly thereafter hit the right wing of a parked airplane, a Diamond DA-40, which was undergoing maintenance. The flight instructor heard a noise and then saw the taxiing airplane pivot clockwise with its right wing underneath the parked airplane's right wing. The student pilot shut down the engine during the collision. The student pilot reported that as he was taxiing, he had given most of his attention to the airplanes parked to the left side of the taxiway centerline, and didn't see the parked airplane near the hangar to his right. Examination of the accident site revealed that the right wing of the taxiing airplane, collided with the right wing of the parked airplane which was positioned between a northwest facing hangar and the taxiway centerline. The parked airplane's left wingtip was about 6 feet from the hangar and the right wingtip was about 14 feet from the taxiway centerline. The overall wingspan of the accident airplane was 35 feet 8 inches, and the overall wingspan of the parked airplane was 39 feet 6 inches. Examination of both airplanes by the operator revealed they had sustained substantial damage to their right wings. While the student pilot was taxiing the airplane to depart on his first solo flight, its right wing collided with the right wing of a parked airplane. The student reported that, while taxiing, his attention was focused on the airplanes parked left of the taxiway centerline and that he did not see the airplane parked in a nonmovement area to his right. The parked airplane was positioned near a hangar and was about 14 feet away from the taxiway centerline, which was too close to the centerline because it provided about 4 feet less distance than required for the student's airplane to clear the parked airplane if he followed the centerline. 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 Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring other aircraft-Student pilot - C
• F Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Aircraft-Contributed to outcome - F