What happened
On 11 April 2011, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, registration G-WARU, was involved in a ground collision at Leicester Airport. While the pilot was taxiing toward a designated parking area, they encountered another aircraft moving in the opposite direction. In an attempt to navigate through the line of stationary aircraft, the pilot steered the Piper PA-2cap-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III onto an alternative taxiway. This secondary route also led to the intended parking location but featured a narrower passage due to the presence of several aircraft parked along the taxiway edges.
During this maneuver, the left wingtip of the G-WARU made contact with a parked Robinson R22 helicopter, registration G-BTHI. The impact resulted in damage to the wingtip of the Cherokee and caused damage to the windscreen and door pillar of the stationary helicopter. Following the collision, the pilot notified the Tower and shut down the engine.
The investigation
Investigators examined the taxiway configuration and the dimensions of the available space. The pilot measured the wingspan of the G-WARU as approximately 10 paces, while the gap between the parked aircraft on the taxiway was measured at 11 paces. The investigation noted that the width of the taxiway being used was constrained by fixed-wing aircraft parked on the right side of the path, alongside three helicopters parked on the left.