Man on Ground Struck by Cub Dies (Corrected)

A happy ending turned tragic on Thursday when a man in a vehicle struck by a Piper Cub last Sunday died from injuries suffered in the accident. The mishap occurred at Boonville Airport near Evansville, Indiana. Leon Hatchett, 88, the pastor of a local church, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries the Cub hit the vehicle he was in while it was on a road just outside the airport. Early reports said the gear leg separated from the aircraft after takeoff from Boonville but authorities later confirmed the contact with the vehicle came during a go around.

The pilot was able to keep the Cub in the air and elected to fly around the local area to burn off fuel before attempting a landing. That gave local news crews enough time to get there and provide live coverage The landing was uneventful and the pilot was not hurt. Boonville is a 2,300-foot grass strip in Warrick County and is owned by the city. It has about 5,000 operations per year and there are about 15 aircraft based there, according to Wikipedia.

Early reports said the gear came off the plane and hit the car but they were later corrected in official press releases. Below is the latest summary from Aviation Safety Network.

Accident Piper J3C-65 Cub N88218, Sunday 18 October 2026Download

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