No fatalities

4 Jan 2011: PIPER PA-28-181 — Transpac Aviation Academy — Wickenburg, AZ

Wickenburg, AZ, United States
SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot struck a pole with the right wing of a Piper PA-28-181 while taxiing to a parking area in Arizona.

What happened

On January 4, 2011, a Piper PA-28-181, registration N443PA, was taxiing toward a parking area in Wickenburg, Arizona. After completing the landing phase of the flight, the student pilot was maneuvering the aircraft to its parking spot under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles. During the taxi, the pilot observed a pole near the parking area and believed there was sufficient clearance to pass. However, the leading edge of the right wing struck the pole, causing damage to the wing spar.

There were no injuries resulting from the incident.

Probable cause

The student pilot failed to maintain adequate clearance between the right wing of the aircraft and the pole.

Contributing factors

Student pilotResponse/compensation