Cessna 172 N917CP accident near Shawnee, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to remain a safe distance from obstacles while taxiing to parking, resulting in the airplane's wing striking a light pole.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, during the taxi from the runway to parking, he made a left turn into his parking space. He reported that he had parked at this location many times before, and that his main concern at the time, was to ensure that he did not run over the rope tie downs on the parking space. During the left turn, although the main landing gear remained on the asphalt, the right wing extended beyond the asphalt, and into the grass area where the right wing struck a light pole. The light pole had been erected about 45 days prior, and was positioned in the grass, about 5 feet away from the asphalt. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA16CA253 for the full record.