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WPR21LA042

2020-11-09 · Mesa, Arizona, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FFZ

Current FAA registration · N4117H

Make / Model
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DA 40
Year of manufacture
2008 · 12 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-M1A+ (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20080516
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4DB2C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance with a vehicle while taxiing.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the runup area he stopped when he noticed a construction vehicle was in close proximity to the taxiway. After he assessed the situation and felt that he had enough room to taxi around the vehicle on the left, he continued to taxi. However, while maneuvering around the vehicle he misjudged the clearance, and the right wing was substantially damaged when it collided with the vehicle. The student reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions 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.

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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR21LA042.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

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Related research

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