Probable cause
The flight's encounter with the jet wash from a parked commercial airplane while taxiing for takeoff.
NTSB analysis
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and her student were taxiing southwest on taxiway Charlie when ground control told them to switch to the tower frequency and monitor. As they approached the intersection of Charlie and Delta taxiways, the airplane started to tip over, and through the left window they could feel the warm air of jet wash coming from a parked MD-11 airplane. The jet wash lifted the airplane up and dropped it down, the propeller struck the taxiway, and then the airplane spun around to the right pivoting on the right wing tip. The CFI shut the engine down and both her and the student egressed the airplane. The MD-11's cargo was live animals and the number 2 (tail) engine was being operated to provide power to cool the airplane. There was no requirement at the time for parked airplanes to notify ground control when starting an engine.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for LAX08LA283 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 30, 2008
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Nearest airport
- Honolulu International (PHNL)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172
- N-number
- N5329L
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
Other records under this N-number
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.