Cessna 172P accident near Hemet, California, May 28, 2012
On May 28, 2012 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N216AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Hemet, California (Hemet airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to monitor and maintain clearance from an obstacle during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2012 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N216AF · registry record · serial 17274165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot landed the airplane and was taxiing to a fueling facility when he decided that he did not have sufficient time to get fuel and still return the airplane within the allotted rental time. He maneuvered the airplane to a parking area, performed a U-turn, and, while maneuvering the airplane toward the taxiway center line, he saw a lamp post to his left. He immediately applied brake and rudder control input, but the airplane skidded, and the left wing struck the pole. The left aft wing spar sustained substantial damage during the impact sequence. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Student pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Awareness of condition
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,216 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMYF San Diego CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: KHMT Hemet CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 23, 4,314 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N216AF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR12CA260.