OpenAirDocs.org

20260305001049A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 180 · Charleston, WV · March 5, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 5, 2026 · 10:51 local
Place
Charleston, WV
Airport
Charleston Yeager Internationa
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2648Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA26LA141
Reported as
Cessna 180
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
15,465 total70 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N2648YRegistered now · Cessna 180S/N 31676 · Built 1955Airframe modelCessna 180Engine modelContinental O-470 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.

A Cessna sky wagon (C180) single pilot / no passengers @ 10:51 EST; taxied aircraft (north) from maintenance hangar in the direction towards FBO following airport non-movement center taxi line when suddenly the aircraft made an instantaneous "right turn" to avoid parked vehicle (FBO maintenance van) in front of hangar. The aircraft then struck a helicopter pad dolly parked in the non-movement area located on the east side of non-movement taxi way. No injuries sustained but the aircraft post-accident initial evaluation shows aircraft propeller damage to both tips (curled). The aircraft nose fuselage right hand side and underneath sustained severe damage including aircraft engine bay firewall. Aircraft right passenger door was un-able to open due to extensive shift of the fuselage during impact with helicopter pad dolly. The right forward landing gear strut showed evidence where dolly impacted with gear on lower strut and brake area. Interior passenger floorboard sustained induced structural damage.

As the FAA filed it

A CESSNA SKY WAGON (C180) SINGLE PILOT / NO PASSENGERS @ 10:51 EST; TAXIED AIRCRAFT (NORTH) FROM MAINTENANCE HANGAR IN THE DIRECTION TOWARDS FBO FOLLOWING AIRPORT NON-MOVEMENT CENTER TAXI LINE WHEN SUDDENLY THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN INSTANTANEOUS "RIGHT TURN" TO AVOID PARKED VEHICLE (FBO MAINTENANCE VAN) IN FRONT OF HANGAR. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A HELICOPTER PAD DOLLY PARKED IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF NON-MOVEMENT TAXI WAY. NO INJURIES SUSTAINED BUT THE AIRCRAFT POST-ACCIDENT INITIAL EVALUATION SHOWS AIRCRAFT PROPELLER DAMAGE TO BOTH TIPS (CURLED). THE AIRCRAFT NOSE FUSELAGE RIGHT HAND SIDE AND UNDERNEATH SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE INCLUDING AIRCRAFT ENGINE BAY FIREWALL. AIRCRAFT RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR WAS UN-ABLE TO OPEN DUE TO EXTENSIVE SHIFT OF THE FUSELAGE DURING IMPACT WITH HELICOPTER PAD DOLLY. THE RIGHT FORWARD LANDING GEAR STRUT SHOWED EVIDENCE WHERE DOLLY IMPACTED WITH GEAR ON LOWER STRUT AND BRAKE AREA. INTERIOR PASSENGER FLOORBOARD SUSTAINED INDUCED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA26LA141Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCharleston, WVThe pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a collision with a helicopter dolly during taxi.Mar 5, 2026 · Substantial damage