What happened
On 5 April 2012, an Aeroprakt A22 Foxbat, registration G-GFOX, was involved in a ground incident at Shifnal Airfield in Shropshire. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight. While the pilot was taxiing following the completion of a local flight, the left wingtip of the aircraft struck the corner of a hangar.
The investigation
Following the collision, an inspection of the aircraft was conducted. While the initial assessment suggested the damage to the wingtip was minor, a more detailed examination revealed that the rear spar of the left wingtip had buckled near the wing root. The pilot reported that the collision occurred during a routine taxiing manoeuvre.
Findings
- The aircraft's left wingtip rear spar suffered buckling near the wing root.
- The incident was caused by the pilot striking a hangar corner while taxiing.
- The pilot noted that a recent personal bereavement had caused a distraction during the execution of the manoeuvre.