What happened
The incident occurred following a landing at Bullhead City, Arizona. After touching down, the pilot began taxiing toward a ramp area. During this maneuver, the pilot failed to accurately judge the distance between the aircraft and a nearby fence. This misjudgment resulted in the aircraft striking the fence. Following the initial impact with the fence, the aircraft continued forward and collided with a parked vehicle.
Witnesses present at the scene observed the taxiing process and noted that the aircraft appeared to be moving too fast for the conditions of the area. The collision caused damage to the aircraft and the parked vehicle involved.
The investigation
A review of the aircraft was conducted to determine if any mechanical issues contributed to the event. Investigators found no evidence of mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to or during the incident. The lack of mechanical failure points to pilot error as the primary factor in the sequence of events leading to the collision.
Findings
The investigation determined that the root cause was the pilot's inability to maintain proper clearance while taxiing. The speed observed by witnesses suggests a lack of control appropriate for the confined ramp area. The chain of events—hitting the fence and then the vehicle—was a direct result of this initial spatial awareness failure.