Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a truck while taxiing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While taxiing out for a solo flight, the student pilot misjudged his wingtip clearance with a parked truck. The airplane initially made contact with the outboard 2 ft of the right wing, then pivoted about 90° to the right while tipping to the left and contacting the ground with the propeller and left wingtip before coming to rest. The student pilot was not injured, but the airplane was substantially damaged. According to the student pilot, he was taxiing at 10 to 15 mph, when the right wing impacted the truck. He stated that “It was completely an act of my misjudgment” and that next time, he would not only proceed with more space than necessary, but he would use the most extreme caution “slowing down to a snail’s pace.”