The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-16 reported that, while on final approach to the airport in Manchester, West Virginia, he noticed a vehicle stopped short of the runway on a road that intersected the runway.
After touchdown, while taxiing and about 40 feet from the intersection, the vehicle slowly drove on the runway.
The pilot veered left to avoid the vehicle, and the airplane exited the runway to the left. The plane 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.
He added that he assumed that the driver could see the landing airplane.
Probable cause: 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.
NTSB Identification: GAA19CA018
This October 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Every runway I’ve seen with intersecting vehicle road has signage stating beware of landing traffic,active runway,etc.Landing aircraft properly observed vehicle stopped and properly assumed vehicle would yield right of way to aircraft.Since,vehicle failed to yield to landing traffic,causing taildragger with limited forward vision to veer to avoid collision,Ntsb properly faulted driver of vehicle as primary cause of accident.I wonder what drivers Insurence had to say.
Certainly no shortage of people needlessly destroying their own property in the course of pointlessly trying to prove a point.
Sounds like an assumption gpne wrong. Shouldn’t approach an unknown vehicle, or cow for that matter, so fast you have to run off the runway and damage the plane.