N734RE

On April 25, 2004, at 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734RE, struck a pole with the left wing while taxiing to the fueling pits after landing on runway 15 at the Lincoln Regional Airport/Karl Harder Field (LHM), Lincoln, California. Affordable Aviation, Inc., operated the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight departed the Chico Municipal Airport (CIC), Chico, California, at 1115. The flight was scheduled to terminate at LHM.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that after landing his intent was to taxi to the fueling pit to refuel the airplane prior to parking the airplane at Affordable Aviation, Inc. He stated that there were other airplanes at the fueling pit, so he taxied down a different row than normal. He maneuvered around an end-parked airplane, and the left wing struck a light pole at the edge of the hard surface parking area. The pole was in line with the parked airplane.

The pilot's initial thought was that he had run over something. Then he realized that the left wing had struck the light pole. The pilot stated that after hitting the pole, the airplane rotated partially around the pole coming to rest in a dirt/grass area. He shut down the engine and reported the accident to Affordable Aviation. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.

The pilot reported that Affordable Aviation instructed him to refuel the airplane and taxi it back to the parking area next to their offices. The pilot complied with the request.

The owner of Affordable Aviation had a conversation with the pilot at the parking area. The pilot told him that he had taxied down the wrong taxiway in order to get in line for fuel. The pilot had to make a u-turn, which put him into the dirt. As the pilot was making the turn, he felt a bump and thought it was the tire leaving the pavement. The pilot continued the turn, and then realized that the left wing had struck a light pole.