What happened
While an aircraft was parked at the airport, an unoccupied 1988 Dodge Ram Van rolled backward and struck the left side of the plane. According to an investigation by airport police, the driver of the van had been parked approximately twenty yards in front of the aircraft for about two minutes. The driver left the vehicle to check oil fittings and was unable to explain how the vehicle began moving toward the aircraft.
The captain of the aircraft witnessed the incident, observing the van drive toward the plane and strike it with enough force to move the aircraft sideways by approximately 10 inches. The impact resulted in damage to the left side of the aircraft.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection was performed on the 1988 Dodge Ram Van. The examination found no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the vehicle's systems, specifically noting that the parking brake, the column shifter, and the parking gear were all functioning as intended.