Piper PA28R N679X

Summary

On 31 March 2020 at about 22:45 local time, a Piper PA28R registered N679X was involved in an accident near Palm Springs, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 March 2020 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Palm Springs, California, United States

Nearest airport

Bermuda Dunes (UDD)

Coordinates

33.7483, -116.2747

Aircraft

Piper PA28R

Registration

N679X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR20CA120

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to see and avoid a parked vehicle near the taxiway edge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while taxiing to the runway, the airplane veered hard to the left. He shut down the engine and saw that the left wing had struck the windshield of a small truck parked at the edge of the taxiway near a hangar. He stated that, due to its location and color, neither he nor his passenger saw the truck because it blended in with the background of the hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.