Incident Overview
On July 25, 2018, at 1341 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46 350P, registration C-GRFF, was substantially damaged after colliding with a stop sign while taxiing onto a service road at Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in West Columbia, South Carolina. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 for personal purposes, with an instrument flight rules flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions were present at the time of the accident.
Traffic Control and Pilot Actions
According to the pilot, the CAE ground controller was providing progressive taxi instructions. The pilot asked the controller whether he should "turn left here at the D6" taxiway and was instructed to do so. After executing the turn, the underside of the airplane's left wing struck a stop sign described by the pilot as "low."
Examination of the Area
Review of aerial images and photographs of the accident location revealed that the airplane had been taxiing from an aircraft parking ramp area toward a perpendicular taxiway designated as Delta. A vehicle service road ran parallel to taxiway Delta, and both were intersected by taxiway Delta 6. The ramp area had a painted centerline that transitioned through taxiway Delta 6 and onto taxiway Delta, but no centerline was painted on the service road. The stop sign was located in a grassy area adjacent to the service road.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His third-class medical certificate was issued on September 19, 2016. He reported a total of 985 hours of flight experience, with 200 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Weather Conditions
At 1356, the weather recorded at CAE included scattered cloud layers at 3,900 feet and 5,000 feet, a broken ceiling at 25,000 feet, and winds from 260 degrees at 7 knots. The temperature was 31°C, the dew point was 22°C, and the altimeter setting was 29.89 inches of mercury.
Aircraft Damage and Mechanical Status
Photographs of the accident showed that the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.