# Accident 19980726017739A: Piper PA25235, Panama City Bea, FL, July 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 26, 1998, 14:00 local time
- Place: Panama City Bea, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.1992° N, 85.7905° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.1992&lon=-85.7905&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8807L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8807L-2005-02-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-25-235 (registry code 7102504, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235
- Reported engine: LYC O540B2C5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,521 total, 31 in this make and model, 254 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA211) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980726017739A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

BANNER TOWING OPERATION, ACFT WAS HEADING BACK TO BANNER STRIP AND LOST POWER, CAME TO REST IN TREES IN INVERTED POSITION, PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJ. (-23) PILOT RAN OUT OF GAS, LANDED ON GOLF COURSE, HIT TREES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (.4)DURING THE SECOND BANNER TOW FLIGHT OF THE DAY WHILE FLYING AT 800 FEET MSL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED THEN QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT FOR A FORCED LANDING DURING WHICH, ENGINE POWER WAS RESTORED MOMENTARILY THEN THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN  THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE FOR A LANDING ON A GOLF COURSE AND DURING THE LANDING ROLL ON A FAIRWAY, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE.  THE AIRPLANE THEN YAWED 180 DEGREES, BECAME AIRBORNE, AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE 15-FEET AGL.  POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TANK AND GASCOLATOR REVEALED NO FUEL. THE FUEL TANK WAS INTACT AND TESTING OF THE FUEL GAUGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA211), Jul 26, 1998: Piper PA-25-235 (N8807L), Panama City Bch, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate inflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.

## Other reports on N8807L (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19880717027009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880717027009A), Jul 17, 1988: Piper PA25235 (N8807L), Chebanse, IL, Substantial damage. Ran out of fuel returning to base after spraying afield. Aircraft struck a fence on the forced landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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