The private pilot was taxiing through a private residential flying community in Daytona Beach, Florida, on a taxiway that was bordered by residential homes and hangars.
He came across an airplane off his right side and a commercial forklift that was working on a hangar door to his left.
He maneuvered the Piper PA-28 further left to avoid the airplane, but hit the forklift with his left wing.
The impact spun his airplane left into the bushes and resulted in substantial damage, shearing off about 9 inches of the outboard wing, resulting in the left wing canting aft, further damaging the airframe.
Probable Cause: Pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a forklift while taxiing.
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This April 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Joel j Williams, it was NOT an accident, it was STUPIDITY.
Simple physics dictates that two objects cannot occupy the same space! I’ve seen boneheaded accidents similar to this before where someone taxiing on the ramp absolutely MUST put their aircraft where another aircraft, a tow tractor, a vehicle, etc. already is! There is NO valid reason for this!
It was an ACCIDENT. Why point fingers like little kids.
Crashes like this are published so that we can review what happened and discuss them, and maybe determine what we, as pilots, might have done differently.
Maybe wait and see if the forklift sees the aircraft and moves.
If not, shut down and tow that aircraft past the forklift, with someone walking the wings.
Looking at the google earth photo, the taxiway look like ‘running a gauntlet’, with hangars and homes close to the taxiway on both sides, which is the full length of the runway….weird !
Indeed, it was an accident. But it might have been much less of one, or even totally avoided, had he proceeded at a snail’s pace instead of a fast clip.
Damage to the wing looks to require about 30+/- hours plus parts, and would consider minor. But to cause the additional damage to the fuselage….? This guy had his head where the sun don’t shine. He was taxiing way too fast. I’m curious if he was paying more attention to an IPad or other such gizmos. Can’t begin to tell you all the repairs I make because of “devices”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the money. Thanks.