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Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-18A 150 · Dewey Beach, DE · September 12, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 12, 2009 · 13:08 local
Place
Dewey Beach, DE
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N766WM
Reported as
Piper PA-18A 150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,651 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N766WMRegistered now · Piper PA-18A 150S/N 18-7205 · Built 1959Airframe modelPiper PA-18A 150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

At 1300 hours on September 12, 2009, while flying south over Dewey Beach, DE during a banner tow operation at an altitude of 1200 feet, the pilot reported that the engine lost power after flying three hours into a four-hour operation. The pilot reported taking off with his fuel selector in the main left tank position (18 gallons full), then switched the selector to the right tank position (two interconnected 18 gallon tanks) upon reaching an altitude of 1200 feet. After about three hours into the flight, the pilot reported that the engine lost power. When the engine stopped, he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank. He attempted to engage the starter, but the engine would not start. He then released the banner and performed an emergency landing on a narrow strip of Beach on the east side of rehobeth bay. The aircraft landed on the sand and flipped over upon making contact with the water. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft did not sustain substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

AT 1300 HOURS ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2009, WHILE FLYING SOUTH OVER DEWEY BEACH, DE DURING A BANNER TOW OPERATION AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1200 FEET, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AFTER FLYING THREE HOURS INTO A FOUR-HOUR OPERATION. THE PILOT REPORTED TAKING OFF WITH HIS FUEL SELECTOR IN THE MAIN LEFT TANK POSITION (18 GALLONS FULL), THEN SWITCHED THE SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK POSITION (TWO INTERCONNECTED 18 GALLON TANKS) UPON REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF 1200 FEET. AFTER ABOUT THREE HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED, HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK. HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE STARTER, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. HE THEN RELEASED THE BANNER AND PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A NARROW STRIP OF BEACH ON THE EAST SIDE OF REHOBETH BAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE SAND AND FLIPPED OVER UPON MAKING CONTACT WITH THE WATER. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

Other reports on N766WM · 1

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

Incident 20170623006909ICruise/Level Flight · Bishopville, MDThe pilot was towing a large banner for 3 hours. Normally this left him a 30 to 40 minute fuel reserve after landing. The turbulence caused by the approximately 15 kt with gusts to 24KT winds resulted in him using a higher power setting than usual. Returning…Jun 23, 2017 · No damage