Overview
On December 9, 1985, at 0730 Pacific Standard Time, a Cessna 152 registered to Walter D. Cable of Upland, California, collided with a parked truck while taxiing for takeoff on the parallel taxiway of Runway 24 at Cable Airport in Upland, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Event Details
The airport was undergoing construction and resurfacing at the time of the incident. The taxiway centerlines had not been repainted. A contractor's truck was parked close to the taxiway, though there was sufficient space for a Cessna 152 to taxi around it. The truck was equipped with ladder racks that protruded from the truck's body. According to the student pilot's report, these ladder racks were not clearly visible.
As the aircraft taxied abeam the truck, the right wing tip struck the ladder rack. The student pilot then applied the brakes, causing the aircraft to ground loop to the right. During the ground loop, the right wing struck the ladder rack again a few feet inboard of the wing tip.
Findings
The student pilot indicated on the Pilot Aircraft Accident Report that there was no mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft.