The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll from a private dirt strip in Lake Abert, Oregon, the Pilatus PC-12’s left wing was substantially damaged when it hit a truck parked alongside the runway.
He told investigators that it was dusk and he “just didn’t see the truck.”
He added there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an object during the takeoff ground roll due to inadequate monitoring of the environment.
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This September 2020 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.
I had two experiences with trucks on a runway at Simsbury, CT 4B9. One was a light van – the young employee had just made a delivery at a hangar and thought the runway was a road. We were on short final for 21 when it suddenly appeared driving toward us on the runway. Years later at the same airport, a pickup truck failed to follow rules at the airport which were to drive around the north end of the runway to get from the FBO side to the hangars on the other side – it drove straight across the runway threshold again when we were on short final this time for 03. We made a safe go-around each time at about 100ft agl best I can remember.
Who parks a truck near a runway?
This shows that we should look twice, before we go on the move.