- Date
- June 19, 1987, 16:03 local (20:03 UTC)
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6078ZPiper PA-25
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870619020979A
- Case key
- 7454
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft encountered a strong downdraft in a thunderstorm and impacted the water during a beachside banner towing operation. The plt reported that he had observed thunderstorms developing inland about 1/2 hr prior to the accident and that his acft was 'overtaken' by the storms before he could return to his base. He added full power and released the banner when he encountered the downdraft, but was unable to arrest the high sink rate that developed. The plt was asked if he was familiar with the thunderstorm avoidance procedures recommended in the airman's information manual. The plt replied that he was aware of them, but that he couldn't shut down banner towing operations just because a thunderstorm was within 10 miles of his operations area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6078Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2590
- Airframe hours
- 4,042
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Phoenix Flight Signs
- Registered owner
- Phoenix Flight Signs
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1987 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- CRE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,155 total · 358 in this make and model · 1,027 as pilot in command · 178 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRE, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6078Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.