On July 19, 2011, a CLIFF STARDUSTER II SA300 operated by NIELAND RICHARD H was involved in an aviation accident near SAN JOSE, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to not follow the designated taxiway, and failure to maintain clearance from a sign. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a night landing, a pilot cut the corner from the runway to a taxiway, causing the aircraft's right wing to collide with a sign, resulting in substantial structural damage.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during the final landing of the night, after touchdown on runway 31R, he decided to take a shortcut from the runway to a taxiway while still in the landing roll. As the aircraft approached the end of the runway, it collided with a sign, causing substantial damage to the underside of the right wing.
Aircraft and Damage
The collision resulted in broken and separated lower right wing spars. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Report
The pilot's decision to cut the corner from the runway to the taxiway led to the aircraft striking the sign. No other factors were reported as contributing to the incident.
Contributing factors
PilotDecision related to conditionResponse/compensation