NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR20CA120
Registry · N679X
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-28R-201T
Year of manufacture
1977 · 43 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER (225 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19770411
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8FF34
Registrant of record
CHAGRES AERO LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a parked vehicle near the taxiway edge.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while taxiing to the runway, the airplane veered hard to the left. He shut down the engine and saw that the left wing had struck the windshield of a small truck that was parked at the edge of the taxiway. Neither he nor his passenger saw the truck as the color of the truck blended in with the background of a hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, while taxiing to the runway, the airplane veered hard to the left. He shut down the engine and saw that the left wing had struck the windshield of a small truck parked at the edge of the taxiway near a hangar. He stated that, due to its location and color, neither he nor his passenger saw the truck because it blended in with the background of the hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
- C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Effect on operation - C
- — Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusion-Perception-Pilot
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_WPR20CA120.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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