Primary finding
Probable cause
The truck driver’s to see and avoid the airplane, which resulted in a collision.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor and the student pilot had just been cleared to taxi from the ramp to the active runway. According to the instructor, as soon as they began to roll forward, an airport operations truck struck the airplane from the right, which resulted in substantial damage to an engine mount. According to the truck driver, had stopped on the service road, short the ramp. He described that there was a large snowbank on his left that obscured his field of vision. As he drove forward, and passed the snowbank, he impacted the airplane. A review of air traffic control (ATC) communications revealed that the truck driver was clear of the active movement area when the accident occurred and was no longer talking to ATC. The impact occurred about 21 seconds after ATC cleared the airplane to taxi.