20250709013909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Fort Worth, TX · July 9, 2025

Date: July 9, 2025 · 14:50 local
Place: Fort Worth, TX
Airport: Hicks Airfield
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N81894
Reported as: Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 14,000 total173 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N81894Registered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-8090287 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft taxiing southbound on the main taxiway to depart runway 32. At approximately midfield a vehicle occupying the same taxiway, approaching headon, pulled off the taxiway to allow aircraft to pass. Pilot believed he had clearance but struck the vehicle at approximately the inner edge of the left wingtip. Airport signage instructs vehicles to park 15 feet from the taxiway but this vehicle only pulled about 2 feet off the taxiway. There were no injuries to the 3 occupants of the plane or the vehicle. Nonsubstantial damage to aircraft left wingtip, outermost rib and skin.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT TAXIING SOUTHBOUND ON THE MAIN TAXIWAY TO DEPART RUNWAY 32. AT APPROXIMATELY MIDFIELD A VEHICLE OCCUPYING THE SAME TAXIWAY, APPROACHING HEADON, PULLED OFF THE TAXIWAY TO ALLOW AIRCRAFT TO PASS. PILOT BELIEVED HE HAD CLEARANCE BUT STRUCK THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY THE INNER EDGE OF THE LEFT WINGTIP. AIRPORT SIGNAGE INSTRUCTS VEHICLES TO PARK 15 FEET FROM THE TAXIWAY BUT THIS VEHICLE ONLY PULLED ABOUT 2 FEET OFF THE TAXIWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE 3 OCCUPANTS OF THE PLANE OR THE VEHICLE. NONSUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT LEFT WINGTIP, OUTERMOST RIB AND SKIN.