No fatalities

13 Jul 2008: Diamond DA20-C1 — Tidewater Flight Center LLC — Norfolk, VA

Norfolk, VA, United States

On 13 Jul 2008, a Diamond DA20-C1 operated by Tidewater Flight Center LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Norfolk, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot failed to see the light pole while maneuvering to the right. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot added excessive power during taxi and, while turning right to avoid a parked airplane, struck a light pole with the left wing. The flight instructor applied brakes and stopped the aircraft.

Incident Summary

A student pilot (SP) and a flight instructor (CFI) were involved in a taxi incident when the left wing of the airplane collided with a light pole. The accident occurred after the student initiated a right turn to avoid a parked airplane, failing to see the pole located off the left side of the aircraft.

Sequence of Events

According to the student pilot, he added a little more power than required to start the taxi. The flight instructor instructed him to decrease the power and then looked down to tune the airplane radios. The student pilot then initiated a right turn towards the runway, intending to avoid a parked airplane. During the turn, the student did not see a light pole positioned off the left side of the airplane, and the left wing struck the pole. After the impact, the airplane rotated slightly to the left. The CFI applied full brakes, bringing the airplane to a stop.

Post-Incident Statements

When asked whether the flight instructor said anything before the collision, the student pilot replied that the instructor did not say anything. The student pilot stated that he simply failed to see the pole while maneuvering to the right, resulting in the left wing colliding with the pole.

Aircraft and Personnel

The aircraft involved was being operated by a student pilot under the supervision of a certified flight instructor. No further details about the aircraft or personnel are specified in the source.

Probable cause

The student pilot failed to see the light pole while maneuvering to the right.

Contributing factors

Causes

Instructor/check pilot

Other contributing factors

PoleStudent pilot