Cessna 172M near San Antonio, TX — 2008-05-28

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an object while taxiing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's diverted attention and a vehicle.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was taxiing from the pilot school ramp and was about to depart on a solo long cross country flight when the airport ground controller called him on the radio. The pilot became distracted while taxiing and failed to notice the 2,000 gallon aviation gasoline refueling truck in front of him and collided with the right rear of the refueling truck. The impact forces of the right wing of the airplane striking the refueling truck spun the airplane to the right and the airplane's propeller struck the refueling truck causing substantial damage to the right wing and damage to the rear bumper and main storage tank of the refueling truck. The pilot was able to shut down the engine before the propeller ruptured the tank containing the aviation gasoline. There was no post crash fire and the pilot was not injured.

NTSB coding

• Ground collision · Taxi-to runway
• Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) · Taxi
• Attention / Monitoring

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