Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle during taxi.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot landed the airplane and exited the runway at a taxiway. As he taxied the airplane to a fueling facility he inadvertently turned onto a roadway designated for automobile traffic. A short time later he became distracted by an automobile, and the left wing struck a sign post. The airplane then departed the roadway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the accident sequence.
Source record
Factual narrative
The student pilot landed the airplane and exited the runway at a taxiway. As he taxied the airplane to a fueling facility he inadvertently turned onto a roadway designated for automobile traffic. A short time later he became distracted by an automobile, and the left wing struck a sign post. The airplane then departed the roadway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the accident sequence.