What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 27, 2026, at approximately 1400 UTC (1000 EDT), a Cessna 172 sustained substantial damage in a hangar area of the Piedmont Triad international airport (kgso). The student pilot, who was the sole occupant on board at the time of the incident, was uninjured. The engine was started while the aircraft was parked on the ramp. The certified flight instructor (CFI) subsequently exited the aircraft to remove the wheel chocks, leaving the student pilot alone at the controls. Upon removal of the chocks, the aircraft began rolling forward down an incline. The student pilot was unable to maintain directional control or stop the aircraft before it impacted an adjacent hangar structure. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and both the left and right wings. Following the accident, the student pilot reported that depressing the brake pedals resulted in no braking action. However, a post-accident examination of the aircraft's brake system revealed no mechanical anomalies or pre-impact failures that would have precluded normal operation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 27, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 UTC (1000 EDT), A CESSNA 172 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN A HANGAR AREA OF THE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KGSO). THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WAS UNINJURED. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) SUBSEQUENTLY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO REMOVE THE WHEEL CHOCKS, LEAVING THE STUDENT PILOT ALONE AT THE CONTROLS. UPON REMOVAL OF THE CHOCKS, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ROLLING FORWARD DOWN AN INCLINE. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OR STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT IMPACTED AN ADJACENT HANGAR STRUCTURE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDALS RESULTED IN NO BRAKING ACTION. HOWEVER, A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S BRAKE SYSTEM REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES OR PRE-IMPACT FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.