Cessna 172 N421ER

Summary

On 20 March 2013 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N421ER, operated by Westwind School of Aeronautics, was involved in an accident near Gila Bend, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 March 2013 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gila Bend, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Gila Bend Municipal Airport (E63)

Coordinates

32.9600, -112.6736

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N421ER

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Westwind School of Aeronautics

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Gila Bend

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13CA158

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an above-ground fuel tank while taxiing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the ramp on the parking apron instead of the taxiway, he misjudged the airplane's wing distance from an above-ground fuel tank. The airplane’s left wing contacted the fuel tank and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.