The solo student pilot reported that after he had landed at the airport in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, he taxied to get fuel. He was waved around behind two parked airplanes.
After he passed the first airplane, the left wing of his Cessna 172 hit a hangar.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
The student pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The student pilot reported that this accident could have been prevented if he had remained focused “on the task of taxiing the airplane, rather than looking at the person/parking spot.”
Probable cause: The student pilot’s distraction during taxi operations, which resulted in the airplane’s left wing hitting a hangar.
NTSB Identification: GAA16CA447
This August 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
