# NTSB ERA18LA213: Piper PA46, West Columbia, SC, July 25, 2018

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 25, 2018, 13:41 local (17:41 UTC)
- Place: West Columbia, SC
- Coordinates: 33.938888, -81.119445 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9389&lon=-81.1194&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Taxi: Course deviation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/281)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 20, 2020
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 98035
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA18LA213
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98035/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98035
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA213

## Probable cause

The pilot’s inadvertent navigation onto a service road instead of a taxiway, which resulted in a collision with a stop sign.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: sign/marker](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 214 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Taxi: Course deviation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/281) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 52 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/281/sequence.md)
- [Taxi: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The private pilot was taxiing the airplane and receiving progressive taxi instructions from an air traffic controller. The pilot indicated that he asked if he should turn onto the taxiway and was instructed to do so. However, instead of proceeding on the taxiway, which had a continuous painted yellow centerline, the pilot turned left onto a vehicle service road, which had a painted white "stop" marking and an adjacent stop sign. The underside of the airplane's left wing subsequently struck the stop sign, which resulted in substantial damage.

## Factual narrative

On July 25, 2018, at 1341 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46 350P, C-GRFF, was substantially damaged during collision with a stop sign while taxiing onto a service road at Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) West Columbia, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the pilot, the CAE ground controller was providing progressive taxi instructions and asked the controller if he should "turn left here at the D6" taxiway and was told "to do so." After turning, the underside of the airplane's left wing struck a "low" stop sign. Examination of an aerial images and photos of the area where the airplane struck the stop sign revealed that the airplane was taxiing from an aircraft parking ramp area toward a perpendicular taxiway (Delta). A vehicle service road ran parallel to taxiway Delta, and both were intersected by taxiway Delta 6 (see Figure 1). A centerline was panted on the ramp area that transitioned through taxiway Delta 6 and onto taxiway Delta. There was no taxiway centerline painted on the service road. The stop sign was located in a grassy area adjacent to the service road. Figure 1 – Annotated aerial photograph of the area where the airplane was taxiing. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His third-class medical certificate was issued September 19, 2016, and he reported 985 total hours of flight experience, 200 hours of which was in the accident airplane make and model. At 1356, the weather recorded at CAE included scattered cloud layers at 3,900 feet and 5,000 feet, a broken ceiling at 25,000 feet and winds from 260 degrees at 7 knots. The temperature was 31°C, and the dew point was 22°C. The altimeter setting was 29.89 inches of mercury. Examination of photographs revealed that the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: C-GRFF (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Piper PA46 (350P)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 4636617
- Year built: 2014
- Airframe hours: 383
- Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A 350 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 6, 2018, 42 hours before
- Departed: CAE, West Columbia, SC
- Destination: CNY3, Collingwood
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: CAE, Columbia Metropolitan
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 60; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 985 total, 200 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observed at: KCAE

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 4, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98035. 3.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477700&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- Investigative Photographs (item 2, .PDF, 3 photos, 335 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477701&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs-Master.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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