What happened
On 23 September 2016, a Cessna 152, registration G-MASS, was involved in a ground accident at Stow Maries Airfield in Essex. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight. While the pilot was taxiing from Runway 20 toward the parking area, the aircraft's left wing made contact with a windsock pole that had been marked with a traffic cone.
Following the impact, the aircraft veered to the left before the motion ceased. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft sustained damage specifically to the leading edge of the left wing.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the taxiing maneuver and the positioning of airfield equipment. It was determined that the pilot's attention had been diverted by a replica SE5a aircraft positioned ahead of the Cessna 152 during the taxi sequence. Because of this distraction, the pilot failed to observe the windsock pole and its associated marker to the left of the taxi path.