Piper PA46 accident near Petersburg, West Virginia, November 18, 2018
On November 18, 2018 at about 5:47 pm local time, a 1998 Piper PA46, registered N88VZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Petersburg, West Virginia (Grant County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of control during the landing roll and subsequent runway excursion for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2018 · about 5:47 pm local time
- Place
- Petersburg, West Virginia · Grant County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46 350P, built 1998 · all PA46s on the register
- Registration
- N88VZ · no longer on the register · serial 4636170
- 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 landing the airplane with the yaw damper off, the rudder trim near neutral, and both rudder pedals centered. The pilot reported feeling the airplane slide after touchdown, similar to being on an ice patch, but did not recall if the nose landing gear was on the runway before or at the time of the slide. He immediately applied right rudder and brake to maintain directional control. As the airplane started to veer to the left, he moved the power lever into beta to slow the airplane but was unable to keep the airplane on the runway surface. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and impacted a small berm, resulting in a nose landing gear collapse. The pilot subsequently walked the runway and did not see any ice but observed rubber transfer marks from the right main and nose landing gear tires. The nose and main landing gear tire pressures at the time of the accident could not be confirmed although there was no evidence of sidewall scuffing or slippage of the nose landing tire or tube. The nose landing gear rake angle could not be determined due to damage, but the nose landing gear steering bungee appeared intact. Although the collar of the nose landing gear trunnion was damaged, and the nose landing gear rake angle was set to 0.1° less than the minimum specified at the last annual inspection, neither of those conditions likely contributed to the on-ground loss of control. The reason for the runway excursion could not be determined based on the available evidence.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,248 hours in all; 223 in this make and model; 2,038 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 13, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,653.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2018; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-35 (turboprop); 1,292 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQO Llano TX at 2:01 pm
- Destination: W99 Petersburg WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from W99, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 28, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Airplane Maintenance Manual | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from Inspection Guide Utilized by Facility for Last Annual Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Discrepancy and Corrective Action List Pertaining to Last Annual Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement from Repair Station | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 6 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.