# NTSB ERA25LA032: Aero SP Z O O AT-4 LSA, N401G, South Charleston, WV, October 25, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 25, 2024, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC) - Place: South Charleston, WV · Airport property - Coordinates: 38.334996, -81.740011 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3350&lon=-81.7400&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: AC/prop/rotor contact w person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 195416 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA032 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195416/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195416 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA032 ## Probable cause The pedestrian’s inadequate visual lookout while walking next to an active runway, which resulted in the airplane striking him during taxi. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Other (probable cause); cases with it: [Aero SP Z O O AT-4 LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=060004P), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: AC/prop/rotor contact w person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081) (defining event); cases with it: [Aero SP Z O O AT-4 LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081/sequence.md?model=060004P), [All aircraft, 61 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081/sequence.md) ## Analysis At the conclusion of a short cross-country flight, the flight instructor and student pilot elected to a perform takeoff and landings at their destination airport. The airport was privately owned, the single asphalt runway was 1,900 ft-long by 24 ft-wide, and there was no taxiway parallel to the runway. The flight instructor stated that, he scanned the runway for obstructions and announced over the airport’s Common Traffic Advisory Frequency the airplane’s position in the traffic pattern and their intent to land. No obstructions were observed during the landing. As the pilots taxied the airplane down the recently-paved runway, a person wearing dark-colored clothing “suddenly” came into view. The person was walking along the runway with his back toward the approaching airplane. The airplane’s left wingtip contacted the pedestrian and knocked him forcefully to the ground, resulting in serious injuries. The airplane’s wingtip incurred minor damage. The flight instructor then stopped the airplane, and he and the student rendered aid to the pedestrian until emergency responders arrived. The flight instructor reported that the pedestrian typically carried a hand-held radio that he would use to listen for traffic calls, but he was not carrying it with him on the day of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N401G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N401G), registered now, S/N AT4-007, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AERO SP Z O O AT-4 LSA - Registry model: [Aero SP Z O O AT-4 LSA](https://openairdocs.org/model/aero-sp-z-o-o-at-4-lsa) (registry code 060004P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (registry code 55572, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AT4-007 - Year built: 2007 - Airframe hours: 244.4 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, September 30, 2024, 6 hours before - Departed: GAS, Gallipolis, OH - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: WV12, Mallory Airport, runway 34, 1,900 × 24 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 6, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 738 total, 15 in this make and model, 600 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; injuries: none; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 37 total, 9 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,800 ft broken - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: CRW, 8 nm away - METAR: KCRW 251554Z 16004KT 10SM -RA BKN048 OVC070 12/08 A3015 RMK AO2 RAB42 SLP211 P0000 T01220078 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20241025015289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241025015289A), Oct 25, 2024: Aero Sp Z O O AT-4 LSA, South Charlesto, WV, Minor damage. On rollout after landing runway 34 at Mallory Airport pilot struck a person in the back that was walking down the runway causing significant injury to the… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195416. 4.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18458320&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%201%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18458330&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.