Piper PA 16 accident near Manchester, West Virginia, October 7, 2018
On October 7, 2018 at about 6:11 pm local time, a 1949 Piper PA 16, registered N49WV, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Manchester, West Virginia (Herron airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A vehicle's incursion onto an active runway, which resulted in an evasive action by the pilot landing an airplane on that runway and a subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2018 · about 6:11 pm local time
- Place
- Manchester, West Virginia · Herron · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 16 No Series, built 1949 · all PA 16s on the register
- Registration
- N49WV · registry record · serial 16-723
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while on final approach, he noticed a vehicle stopped short of the runway on a road that intersected the runway. After touchdown, while taxiing and about 40 ft from the intersection, the vehicle slowly drove on the runway. The pilot veered the airplane left to avoid the vehicle, and the airplane exited the runway to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he assumed that the driver could see the landing airplane.
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
- Runway incursion veh/AC/person during taxi (to runway) defining event
- Abrupt maneuver during taxi (to runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 201 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 201 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,741 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-C2A (piston); 928 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7G1 Manchester WV
- Destination: 7G1 Manchester WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,030 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from KPIT, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 15, 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 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.