# Incident 20191116011229I: Piper PA-18, Livermore, CA, November 16, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 16, 2019, 15:10 local time
- Place: Livermore, CA
- Airport: Livermore Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.6961° N, 121.8197° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6961&lon=-121.8197&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8589D, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8589D) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18 (registry code 7101802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-320
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191116011229I

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT N8589D, A PIPER PA-18, WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO PERFORM BANNER TOW OPERATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE BANNER PICK-UP POINT ADJACENT TO THE 7 RIGHT RUNWAY AT THE LIVERMORE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HOOKED THE BANNER, THE PILOT PULLED BACK ON THE CONTROL STICK, PUSHED THE THROTTLE IN AND AT THAT POINT THE CONTROL STICK CAME COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW STRAIGHT FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND.

## 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 WPR20LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA026), Nov 16, 2019: Piper PA 18 (N8589D), Livermore, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper installation of the flight control stick, which resulted in separation of the flight control stick from the stick stub assembly and an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain.

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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