Piper PA-31-350 accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, July 11, 2006
On July 11, 2006 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N40978, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the tug driver to maintain clearance from the airplane taxiing on an active taxiway. A factor was the night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2006 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N40978 · registry record · serial 31-8152199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A tug used to move ground carts collided with the left side of a twin-engine airplane while the airplane was taxiing on an active taxiway at night. The air traffic control (ATC) tower had cleared the airplane to taxi to the active runway via Delta taxiway. The airplane collided with the tug at the intersection of Delta taxiway and a service road. The tug was pulling five carts and was traveling from left to right through the intersection. The pilot reported that after the collision he saw a ground vehicle under the left engine and initially thought it was an abandoned vehicle because he did not see any lights on the vehicle. The pilot notified ATC concerning the collision, and then shut down the airplane. The tug driver reported that he stopped before entering the intersection and did not see any of the airplane's lights.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,319 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 83 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N40978 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.