Cessna 172S N1955L and Cessna 172S N499DR accident near San Diego, California

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain awareness while parked on the ramp with the engine operating, which resulted in impact with another parked airplane.

The failure of the flight instructor of the other airplane to maintain awareness while parked on the ramp with the engine operating, which resulted in impact with the parked airplane.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and student pilot were parked with the airplane's engine running when the airplane began to move forward and to the right. The instructor stated that upon noticing the forward movement, he applied the brakes. He reported that the right rudder/brake pedal was positioned further forward than the left pedal, and upon application of brakes, the right turn increased before the airplane impacted another occupied airplane parked on the ramp, resulting in substantial damage to both. The student pilot reported that he noticed the airplane's movement and tried to alert the instructor; however, the instructor appeared to be distracted.

Postaccident examination of the brake system revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the airplane's nose wheel was initially displaced to the right, which resulted in the airplane's right turn.

The airplane was parked on the ramp with its engine not operating when another airplane taxied into it. The other airplane, with a flight instructor and a student pilot onboard, was parked with the engine running when it began to move forward and to the right. The instructor stated that upon noticing the forward movement, he applied the brakes. He reported that the right rudder/brake pedal was positioned further forward than the left pedal, and upon application of brakes, the right turn increased before the airplane impacted the parked airplane, resulting in substantial damage to both. The student pilot reported that he noticed the airplane's movement and tried to alert the instructor; however, the instructor appeared to be distracted.

Postaccident examination of the brake system revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the airplane's nose wheel was initially displaced to the right, which resulted in the airplane's right turn when it began to move.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR16LA063 for the full record.