Piper PA46 accident near West Columbia, South Carolina, July 25, 2018
On July 25, 2018 at about 5:41 pm local time, a 2014 Piper PA46, registered CGRFF, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near West Columbia, South Carolina (Columbia Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent navigation onto a service road instead of a taxiway, which resulted in a collision with a stop sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2018 · about 5:41 pm local time
- Place
- West Columbia, South Carolina · Columbia Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46 350P, built 2014 · all PA46s on the register
- Registration
- CGRFF · no longer on the register · serial 4636617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
What happened, in order
- Course deviation during taxi defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 985 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 383 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2018; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,339 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 383 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAE West Columbia SC
- Destination: CNY3 Collingwood
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KCAE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.