# Accident 20140831018679A: Piper PA-25-260, Saint Petersbur, FL, August 31, 2014 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 31, 2014, 14:55 local time - Place: Saint Petersbur, FL - Airport: Albert Whitted - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: XAVJ - Location: 27.7650° N, 82.6269° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7650&lon=-82.6269&mi=10 - Aircraft: N254AB (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-25-260 - Reported engine: LYCOMING O-540-G1A5 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14FA416](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA416) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140831018679A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 7 AFTER CLEARANCE FROM ATC TO ?PICK AND GO? ON RUNWAY 18. THIS IS A PROCEDURE WHERE THE PILOT PICKS UP THE BANNER DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF. IN THIS CASE AFTER LIFTOFF THE PILOT EXECUTED A 110 DEGREE RIGHT TURN TO LINE UP FOR THE BANNER. AFTER THE BANNER WAS PICKED UP, THE PILOT CLIMBED TO 200 FEET AND WHILE LEVELING OFF THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BANKED LEFT INTO A SPIN MAKING APPROXIMATELY THREE TURNS BEFORE IMPACTING THE WATER. WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS BEFORE SINKING IN APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT WAS RECOVERED AFTER ONE HOUR BY LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT DIVERS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 (APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS SUBMERGED). INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: GENERAL CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT IS DESTROYED. WINGS ARE BROKEN OFF AT THE WING ROOT FROM IMPACT, ALTHOUGH HANGING BY CABLES AND WING SUPPORT STRUTS. ENGINE MOUNT BROKEN OFF AT FIREWALL, ENGINE HANGING BY CABLES, WIRES, AND HOSES. FUSELAGE FRAME AFT OF COCKPIT BENT IN COMPRESSION IN SEVERAL PLACES. RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER APPEARED NORMAL. HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND RIGHT SIDE ELEVATOR APPEARED NORMAL. LEFT ELEVATOR HAD EVIDENCE OF GREASE ON THE UPPER SURFACE LEADING TO THE FORWARD INBOARD EDGE. THESE GREASE MARKS HAD A PATTERN IN THEM CONSISTANT WITH THE PATTERN OF THE TOW ROPE RELEASED BY THE PILOT. THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS BENT AT A DOWNWARD ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES FROM THE RIGHT ELEVATOR. THIS EVIDENCE IS CONSISTANT WITH THE TOW ROPE BEING WRAPPED AROUND THE LEFT ELEVATOR OUTBOARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY VERIFIED, FLAPS FOUND IN RETRACTED POSITION. ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY VERIFIED, THROTTLE FOUND IN FULL OPEN POSITION, MIXTURE IN FULL RICH POSITION, CARB HEAT PULLED OUT OF ASSEMBLY FROM IMPACT. THREE POINT SEAT BELT REVEALED SHOULDER HARNESS INERTIA REEL IN THE RELEASED POSITION. THE CABLE BETWEEN INERTIAL REEL AND SHOULDER HARNESS ATTACH POINT WAS FOUND BROKEN IN TENSION. COCKPIT SWITCHES FOUND IN POSITIONS CONSISTANT WITH FLIGHT. INSTRUMENTS WERE AT ZERO OR ELECTRICAL POWER OFF POSITION. TACH TIME READ 1884.4 ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED VALID GEAR TRAIN CONTINUITY, VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY, AND COMPRESSION PRESENT IN ALL CYLINDERS. CARBURATOR WAS BROKEN OFF BY IMPACT BUT ATTACHED BY CABLES. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE BLOCKAGE IN THE CARBURATOR VENTURI. ALTERNATOR WAS BROKEN OFF BY IMPACT. MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED TO VERIFY ROTATION AND APPEARED NORMAL. PROPELLER IS A FIXED PITCH TYPE AND HAD ONE BLADE BENT APPROXIMATELY 70 DEGREES AFT FROM IMPACT, THE OPPOSITE BLADE REMAINED STRAIGHT. THERE WERE TWO ATC TRANSMISSIONS TO THIS AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST STATED TAKEOFF CLEARANCE ON RUNWAY 7 FOR A PICK ON 18. THE SECOND WAS THE PILOT STATING ?GOTTA LET IT GO, IT?S ON MY RUDDER? REQUESTED FUEL SAMPLES FROM SHELT AIR TRUCK AND FUEL FARM AS THEY HAD FUELED THIS AIRCRAFT 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. INSPECTED FUEL SAMPLES AND FOUND NO ANOMOLIES. 100 HOUR INSPECTION ON 07/26/2014 AT TACH TIME 1810 ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 02/03/2014 AT TACH TIME 1380 NO FURTHER ENTRIES ## 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 ERA14FA416](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA416), Aug 31, 2014: Piper PA-25-260 (N254AB), St. Petersburg, FL, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's improper deployment of the banner-tow hook, which resulted in it becoming entangled between the left elevator and horizontal stabilizer, restricted the movement of the elevator, and led… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.