Piper PA28 N419PA and Piper PA28 N9299B accident near Chandler, Arizona

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain a safe distance from the other airplane while taxiing, resulting in a ground collision.

NTSB analysis

On November 5, 2018, about 1019 mountain standard time, a Piper PA28-181, N419PA, and a Piper PA28-181, N9299B, collided on the ground at Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD), Chandler, Arizona. The student pilot in N419PA, and the student pilot and airline transport pilot onboard N9299B were not injured. Both airplanes were operated by AeroGuard Flight Training Center under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the operator, the student pilot had landed and was taxiing back to the runway for takeoff. The pilot of the second airplane was undergoing a practical test and his airplane was stationary as he completed pre-takeoff checks in the run-up area. The student arrived at the run-up area, completed his pre-takeoff checks, and subsequently attempted to taxi around the left side of the second airplane, during which his right wing impacted the trailing edge of the second airplane’s left wing.

Examination of both airplanes by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed that N9299B sustained substantial damage to the left aileron, while N419PA sustained minor damage to the right wing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19TA031 for the full record.