No fatalities

Aircraft Damaged After Wing Contact With Berm During Taxi

Pilot Point, AK, United States

On July 8, 2008, a Piper PA-32-301 operated by Island Air was involved in an aviation accident near Pilot Point, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A commercial pilot taxiing on a rural road for a Part 91 positioning flight struck a berm with the right wing, causing the airplane to leave the roadway and sustain substantial damage to both wings.

Incident Overview A commercial pilot was operating a Title 14, CFR Part 91 positioning flight after dropping off passengers. The pilot was using a rural road as a runway and was taxiing for takeoff when the incident occurred. ## Damage and Outcome During the taxi, the right wing struck a berm. The airplane then exited the roadway to the left. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both the right and left wings. No other details regarding the aircraft type, registration, date, operator, location, or cause are provided in the source material. ## Operational Context The flight was described as a positioning flight under Part 91. The use of a rural road for runway operations was part of the pilot's taxiing procedure for takeoff. The source does not specify additional operational factors or environmental conditions.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa