The pilot was taxiing the Cessna 172N to the fuel pump after he landed at Tell City, Ind., when he turned his focus away from making sure the left wing was clear of the fuel dock. Consequently, the left wing hit the dock and sustained substantial damage.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from an obstruction while taxiing.
NTSB Identification: CEN13CA452
This July 2013 accident report is are provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I faced a similar situation once at OXR taxiing a high wing Cessna past an obstruction to my left. I stopped just short of the obstruction and found it difficult to determine by depth perception whether I would clear the obstruction. I had a passenger who was on a first flight with me. I shut down the engine and exited the left door (handy in this situation) and walked to the wing end to determine the clearance, which I determined I could clear. Back to the plane with a quick apology and we started the flight taxi again. Better safe than sorry, when in doubt, shut down and get out of the aircraft to determine clearance in an optically-challenging situation.