- Date
- August 9, 2026, 19:03 local (23:03 UTC)
- Place
- Morgantown, WV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N6175GCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260809009099A
- Case key
- 203559
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The fuel truck driver’s distraction and inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a collision with an airplane.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he had just landed on the runway and was instructed by the tower controller to exit the runway to the left and taxi to the hangars. After exiting the runway, he stopped past the hold short line to perform the after-landing checklist. While he was performing the checklist items, the airplane was struck from behind by a fuel truck, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s empennage, elevators, and fuselage. The fuel truck driver stated that he was looking at his phone while he was crossing the runway and when he looked up, he saw the airplane in front of him. He applied the truck’s brakes, but the truck struck the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6175G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273574
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 5,128
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2025
- Departed
- mrb · Martinsburg, WV
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MGW · Morgantown Municipal Airport, runway 18, 5,199 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 296 total · 286 in this make and model · 210 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- MGW
- METAR
- METAR KMGW 092253Z 23007KT 10SM FEW040 29/19 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP175 T02890189 $
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 40.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.