What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 26, 2008, about 17:40 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-12, registered as N4361M, was substantially damaged when it impacted a clothes pole and a 6FT perimeter yard fence during a forced landing in Middle township, cape may county, NJ. The certificated commercial pilot received head injuries, including facial lacerations and a broken nose. The pilot was evacuated to a local area hospital by a hems helicopter. The banner-tow flight was operated by paramount air services, inc., an aerial advertising company under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. A review of trip records located on board the aircraft revealed that the aircarft had initiated its first northbound banner tow leg departing from the advertising company's private grass strip at green creek, Middle township, NJ along the new jersey coast at 10:04 EDT and landed at lakewood, airport, lakewood, NJ (KN12) at 12:58 EDT. Airport attendants confirmed that the pilot requested to be topped-off with fuel and a review of fuel records indicated that the aircaft was serviced with 27.2 gals of 100LL fuel. The pilot, who had accumulated 500 tt since being certificated, departed KN12 with a new banner for the southbound leg at 13:47 EDT. According the the pilot statements, the engine lost power approximately 4 hours into the flight after topping off with fuel at KN12. The pilot also stated that he jettisoned the banner and attempted to land the aircraft in an open field, but realized he was too low and clipped a tree during the approach. Eye witnesses state that the pilot attempted a 270 degree right hand turn and while descending before impacting terrain in the back yard of a local area motel. Eye witnesses also state that the pilot released the banner over a trailer park adjacent to the open field where the pilot was attempting to land. A preliminary examination of the airplane indicated that both main 19 gallon wing tanks were found to have been empty and both tanks did not appear breached by the impact. The fuel selector valves for both wing fuel tanks were observed positioned to the open/on position. The propeller was found to be intact and there was no evidence of propeller rotation at impact. The engine tac time was observed to indicate 2683.74 hours in service. The entire aircraft and engine were relocated to the operator's facilities for further investigation. A post accident review of maintenance records is also scheduled. The 16:54 surface weather observation at atlantic city international airport, (kacy) reported winds from the south at 14 KTS, gusting to 21 KTS, visibility 10 miles and clear skies, temperature 82.9 degrees fahrenheit (f), dew point 57 degrees f, and an altimeter setting of 29.93 inches of mercury. Further details of this investigation will be incorporated into this repaort as they become known. Fhb
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 26, 2008, ABOUT 17:40 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-12, REGISTERED AS N4361M, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A CLOTHES POLE AND A 6FT PERIMETER YARD FENCE DURING A FORCED LANDING IN MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED HEAD INJURIES, INCLUDING FACIAL LACERATIONS AND A BROKEN NOSE. THE PILOT WAS EVACUATED TO A LOCAL AREA HOSPITAL BY A HEMS HELICOPTER. THE BANNER-TOW FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY PARAMOUNT AIR SERVICES, INC., AN AERIAL ADVERTISING COMPANY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A REVIEW OF TRIP RECORDS LOCATED ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE AIRCARFT HAD INITIATED ITS FIRST NORTHBOUND BANNER TOW LEG DEPARTING FROM THE ADVERTISING COMPANY'S PRIVATE GRASS STRIP AT GREEN CREEK, MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, NJ ALONG THE NEW JERSEY COAST AT 10:04 EDT AND LANDED AT LAKEWOOD, AIRPORT, LAKEWOOD, NJ (KN12) AT 12:58 EDT. AIRPORT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED THAT THE PILOT REQUESTED TO BE TOPPED-OFF WITH FUEL AND A REVIEW OF FUEL RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCAFT WAS SERVICED WITH 27.2 GALS OF 100LL FUEL. THE PILOT, WHO HAD ACCUMULATED 500 TT SINCE BEING CERTIFICATED, DEPARTED KN12 WITH A NEW BANNER FOR THE SOUTHBOUND LEG AT 13:47 EDT. ACCORDING THE THE PILOT STATEMENTS, THE ENGINE LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT AFTER TOPPING OFF WITH FUEL AT KN12. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE JETTISONED THE BANNER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN AN OPEN FIELD, BUT REALIZED HE WAS TOO LOW AND CLIPPED A TREE DURING THE APPROACH. EYE WITNESSES STATE THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A 270 DEGREE RIGHT HAND TURN AND WHILE DESCENDING BEFORE IMPACTING TERRAIN IN THE BACK YARD OF A LOCAL AREA MOTEL. EYE WITNESSES ALSO STATE THAT THE PILOT RELEASED THE BANNER OVER A TRAILER PARK ADJACENT TO THE OPEN FIELD WHERE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND. A PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE INDICATED THAT BOTH MAIN 19 GALLON WING TANKS WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN EMPTY AND BOTH TANKS DID NOT APPEAR BREACHED BY THE IMPACT. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVES FOR BOTH WING FUEL TANKS WERE OBSERVED POSITIONED TO THE OPEN/ON POSITION. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND TO BE INTACT AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PROPELLER ROTATION AT IMPACT. THE ENGINE TAC TIME WAS OBSERVED TO INDICATE 2683.74 HOURS IN SERVICE. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE RELOCATED TO THE OPERATOR'S FACILITIES FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. A POST ACCIDENT REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS IS ALSO SCHEDULED. THE 16:54 SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATION AT ATLANTIC CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, (KACY) REPORTED WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AT 14 KTS, GUSTING TO 21 KTS, VISIBILITY 10 MILES AND CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 82.9 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT (F), DEW POINT 57 DEGREES F, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.93 INCHES OF MERCURY. FURTHER DETAILS OF THIS INVESTIGATION WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS REPAORT AS THEY BECOME KNOWN. FHB
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4361M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.