What happened
On 11 January 2015, a Cessna 172S Skyhawk, registration G-MEGS, was involved in a ground accident at Cambridge Airport. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight and was in the process of taxiing from a grass parking area toward a refuelling bowser.
As the pilot moved the aircraft, they turned left off the taxiway onto a nearby apron with the intention of performing a 180-degree right-hand turn. During this manoeuvre, the aircraft's left wingtip made contact with the door of a small hangar. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board, though the collision caused damage to both the aircraft's left wing and the hangar door.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report provided by the pilot and an occurrence report from Cambridge Air Traffic Control. The examiner reviewed the circumstances surrounding the taxi and the pilot's actions leading up to the impact.
Findings
- The pilot had positioned the aircraft in close proximity to the hangar prior to initiating the turn.
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's momentary inattention to left wingtip clearance as their attention was focused on the right side of the aircraft in preparation for the 180-degree turn.