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19970806028259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna R172E · Mary Esther, FL · August 6, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 6, 1997 · 16:15 local
Place
Mary Esther, FL
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2427
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA97LA230
Reported as
Cessna R172E
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A1A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
736 total461 in this make and model401 in the last 90 days
N2427Registered now · Cessna R172ES/N R172-0235 · Built 1967Airframe modelCessna R172EEngine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power. Dropped banner. Landed on a beach. Nosed over in soft sand. (-23) aircraft was towing a banner over ft. walton beach, when the engine lost power. Pilot landed on the beach, hit a sand dune, and flipped over. (.19) on August 6, 1997, about 1615 central daylight time, a Cessna R172E, N2427, registered to boomer aviation inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91, local banner towing flight, crashed during a forced landing near Mary Esther, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight had departed navarre, Florida, about 2 hours and 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot reported that the engine had lost power while towing a banner. The banner was jettisoned and the pilot attempted a forced landing on the beach. On touchdown the airplane nosed over. Examination of the engine at the accident site did not reveal any discrepancies. Examination of the fuel lines, carburetor, and fuel tanks did not reveal any fuel. The damage was initially reported as minor, and was upgraded to substantial after the wreckage examined, one week after the accident.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER. DROPPED BANNER. LANDED ON A BEACH. NOSED OVER IN SOFT SAND. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS TOWING A BANNER OVER FT. WALTON BEACH, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT LANDED ON THE BEACH, HIT A SAND DUNE, AND FLIPPED OVER. (.19) ON AUGUST 6, 1997, ABOUT 1615 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA R172E, N2427, REGISTERED TO BOOMER AVIATION INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, LOCAL BANNER TOWING FLIGHT, CRASHED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR MARY ESTHER, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED NAVARRE, FLORIDA, ABOUT 2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD LOST POWER WHILE TOWING A BANNER. THE BANNER WAS JETTISONED AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING ON THE BEACH. ON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE DID NOT REVEAL ANY DISCREPANCIES. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL LINES, CARBURETOR, AND FUEL TANKS DID NOT REVEAL ANY FUEL. THE DAMAGE WAS INITIALLY REPORTED AS MINOR, AND WAS UPGRADED TO SUBSTANTIAL AFTER THE WRECKAGE EXAMINED, ONE WEEK AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA230Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMary Esther, FLThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Aug 6, 1997 · Substantial damage