No fatalities

Aircraft Wing Strikes Light Pole During Taxi

Apalachicola, FL, United States

On January 1, 2015, a PIPER PA-46-350P operated by CHICOLA MONTY V was involved in an aviation accident near Apalachicola, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate visual lookout while taxiing, which resulted in the airplane striking a pole. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot collided with a light pole while taxiing to a parking spot, after a lineman directed him to park next to a jet. The wing sustained structural damage.

Event Narrative

After landing, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the fixed base operator to park. As he approached the parking ramp, a lineman stood in front of a tie-down spot and raised both hands in the air, signaling to the pilot where to park. The designated parking spot was adjacent to a parked jet. The pilot later stated that while taxiing to the parking spot, he was concentrating on maintaining clearance from the parked jet and did not observe a light pole located at the edge of the ramp.

Damage

The right wing of the aircraft struck the light pole, resulting in structural damage to the wing.

Contributing factors

Pilot