Cessna 172 N273EB accident near Nogalas, Arizona

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a parked fuel truck. Contributing to the accident were the student’s failure to follow company policy and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor reported that, after landing, he gave the controls to the student to let him taxi to the ramp. After entering the ramp, the student taxied the airplane toward an unoccupied parking spot. The instructor added that, per company policy, the student was taught to stop the airplane perpendicular to the landing spot, shut down the engine, and use the tow bar to back the airplane into the unoccupied spot. As the student passed a parked fuel truck adjacent the parking spot, he made a left turn and started maneuvering the airplane into the parking spot instead of following company policy. During the left turn, the instructor saw that the left wingtip was getting close to the truck, so he applied brakes and told the student to stop the airplane, but the left wing struck the truck. The student reported that he did not follow company policy. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The chief flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA312 for the full record.