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Truck vs. Cessna 172

By General Aviation News Staff · May 24, 2025 · 6 Comments

This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.

My student and I were doing multiple touch and goes on Runway XX at ZZZ in a Cessna 172. During one of our patterns, as we turned final, we saw a black pickup truck holding short of the runway. They were holding about 2,500 down the runway, a little closer to the XY end.

My student had been making radio calls during every leg of her pattern, and we had already briefed for a touch and go.

The truck continued to hold short all the way until our landing. After my student touched down and was taking out flaps and applying full power (we had rolled about halfway down the runway at this point), the black pickup truck drove across the runway right in front of us.

My student was already beginning her rotation, so we managed to get airborne before we were any more than 1,000-1,500 feet away from the truck, but we were definitely both on the runway at the same time.

I believe the truck wasn’t listening to CTAF, otherwise they would’ve heard my student as well as another plane that was in the downwind when this occurred, as we were all making multiple radio calls.

Primary Problem: Human Factors

ACN: 2186138

When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”

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Comments

  1. J. R. Prukop says

    May 28, 2025 at 8:54 pm

    Oh PULLEASE… PHOTOS OR FILM AT 11!

    Reply
  2. Wylbur Wrong says

    May 28, 2025 at 6:19 am

    Reports like this would be better if the airport ID wasn’t mangled to prevent knowing the airport. And I say this because I can think of several airports where this could have happened. It is how one student pilot on a solo flight left one of their main gear in an SUV immediately behind the driver of that SUV (it went through the window behind them).

    The student pilot took a while to get back to flying and he ultimately finished getting his PPL.

    Meanwhile, for the student, a Stop sign at end of runway (in this case approach end) where the road crossed the runway also had a sign stating that aircraft have right of way and warned of limited sight line. The student didn’t see the SUV until just before the collision because of a hill.

    Airports that have hangar/homes have people that come on the property and do NOT understand the rules. They get into collisions with a plane and the insurance companies have fun in a court.

    Reply
    • Ken T says

      May 28, 2025 at 7:50 am

      Roanoke TX.

      Reply
  3. John Galuski says

    May 28, 2025 at 5:57 am

    He must of been an employee of AP contact managar

    Reply
  4. Warren Webb Jr says

    May 28, 2025 at 5:33 am

    It’s the same as if an airplane were holding short of the runway. If you can’t communicate with the pilot and get a confirmation that he will hold short for your landing, then what will happen next is unpredictable, rules or no rules.

    Reply
  5. Brian says

    May 28, 2025 at 5:00 am

    It’s widely known and accepted that “you can’t fix stupid”
    Listening to or not listening to the radio the truck is not allowed on to or to cross an active runway.
    Given that there was an aircraft on the runway, regardless of what said airplane is doing, the aircraft has priority and the runway is considered ACTIVE.
    No excuse should be considered acceptable.

    Reply

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