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20050925023499A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA25235 · Miami, FL · September 25, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 25, 2005 · 11:00 local
Place
Miami, FL
Airport
Opa Locka Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7788Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA05CA163
Reported as
Piper PA25235
Reported engine
Lycoming O540A1D5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
300 total300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) At opa-Locka airport approximately 1100 hours local, aircraft had just retrieved banner and was attempting to level off from nose up attitude. At approximately 150 feet, pilot experienced sink rate he could not recover from (as if in a down draft) full power was still applied. Pilot reports no loss in power and no changes in engine sound. Aircraft comes down hard on unlisted runway. Aircraft comes to rest after hard landing at approx 150 feet into grassy area. No injuries. Damage noticed is prop blade bent from striking ground. Blade tips completely separated. Landing gear is bent, broken and at least two bungees broken. Landing gear wheel separated and punctured leading edge of left wing. Side truss tubular member bent (approximate 30 inches in length) located just aft of right side of engine firewall. Two lower forward truss center tubular members and one rear tubular truss member bent (approximate length average is 10 inches) also located aft of engine firewall. Primary flight controls respond correctly to inputs at control stick. Checked fuel tank. Tank was full with no water present.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT OPA-LOCKA AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS LOCAL, AIRCRAFT HAD JUST RETRIEVED BANNER AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LEVEL OFF FROM NOSE UP ATTITUDE. AT APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET, PILOT EXPERIENCED SINK RATE HE COULD NOT RECOVER FROM (AS IF IN A DOWN DRAFT) FULL POWER WAS STILL APPLIED. PILOT REPORTS NO LOSS IN POWER AND NO CHANGES IN ENGINE SOUND. AIRCRAFT COMES DOWN HARD ON UNLISTED RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT COMES TO REST AFTER HARD LANDING AT APPROX 150 FEET INTO GRASSY AREA. NO INJURIES. DAMAGE NOTICED IS PROP BLADE BENT FROM STRIKING GROUND. BLADE TIPS COMPLETELY SEPARATED. LANDING GEAR IS BENT, BROKEN AND AT LEAST TWO BUNGEES BROKEN. LANDING GEAR WHEEL SEPARATED AND PUNCTURED LEADING EDGE OF LEFT WING. SIDE TRUSS TUBULAR MEMBER BENT (APPROXIMATE 30 INCHES IN LENGTH) LOCATED JUST AFT OF RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE FIREWALL. TWO LOWER FORWARD TRUSS CENTER TUBULAR MEMBERS AND ONE REAR TUBULAR TRUSS MEMBER BENT (APPROXIMATE LENGTH AVERAGE IS 10 INCHES) ALSO LOCATED AFT OF ENGINE FIREWALL. PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROLS RESPOND CORRECTLY TO INPUTS AT CONTROL STICK. CHECKED FUEL TANK. TANK WAS FULL WITH NO WATER PRESENT.

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 MIA05CA163Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportOpa Locka, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, during a banner pick up, resulting in a stall/mush and collision with terrain during the uncontrolled descent.Sep 25, 2005 · Substantial damage