On 2 May 2019, a Gippsland GA8 Undesignat operated by Global Air Concepts Llc was involved in an aviation accident near Bethel, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a shipping container while taxiing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
After landing, while taxiing to tie-down, the airplane's left-wing tip struck a shipping container during a tight right turn, causing substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures.
Incident Overview
The pilot reported that, after landing, while taxiing to the tie-down area, the airplane was executing a "tight" right turn. During this maneuver, the airplane's left-wing tip struck a shipping container. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Damage Assessment
The FAA inspector documented substantial damage to the left-wing spar as a result of the impact with the shipping container.