Piper PA28 N6958J

Summary

On 7 June 2020 at about 13:15 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N6958J was involved in an accident near Greenwood, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 2020 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenwood, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Greenwood County (GRD)

Coordinates

34.2503, -82.1578

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N6958J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greensboro → Greenwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA243

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a parked airplane while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the parked airplane's position over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, he landed and taxied back on the east/west parallel taxiway for a subsequent departure on the same runway to the west. The taxiway traversed an open parking ramp and as the airplane transitioned onto the ramp, an unidentified marshaller directed the airplane down a north/south taxiway that circumnavigated hangars on the south side of the airport. According to the pilot, airplanes were parked along both sides with many parked across the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area. The student pilot said he endeavored to keep the nose wheel on the taxiway centerline as he'd been taught to maintain clearance. While taxiing, the left wing of the airplane contacted a parked airplane, pivoted around the contact point, and struck the tail with the turning propeller. The accident airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to airport personnel, there was overwhelming response to a breakfast fly-in that morning that was neither NOTAMed nor anticipated, and overflow parking was not easily accommodated due to heavy rains and heavily soaked infield areas. Photos taken immediately after the accident depicted several airplanes parked over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.