Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle during taxi.
NTSB analysis
The student pilot landed the airplane and exited the runway at a taxiway. As he taxied the airplane to a fueling facility he inadvertently turned onto a roadway designated for automobile traffic. A short time later he became distracted by an automobile, and the left wing struck a sign post. The airplane then departed the roadway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the accident sequence.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09CA274 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- May 28, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Grangeville, Idaho
- Nearest airport
- Grangeville (S80)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-38-112
- N-number
- N25353
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.