- Date
- July 28, 1990, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Conway, SC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2789PPiper PA-18A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900728028859A
- Case key
- 8144
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Towline interference with the rudder, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall/spinn. A factor that contributed to the accident was: failure of the company/operator management to adequately guard against such interference.
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
Banner tow opns were being conducted. The plt took off to make the 1st banner tow of the day. When the tow hook (grappling hook on a rope) was deployed, the tow line bcm entangled in the rudder ctl & interfered with its movement. According to operator psnl, the plt should have visually checked the grappling hook line after it was deployed to assure that it was not fouled on the rudder bell crank; and if it was, he should have lndd to free the line, rather than pick up the banner. The acft was equipped with a hook release mechanism (iaw STC sa 1-349). However, there was evidence that when the banner was captured, its wt placed tension on the tow hook line & precluded its rls as well as causing a deflected rudder. Subsequently, the acft stalled & spun to the gnd. Operator psnl rprtd that the acft would have been controllable with the line fouled on the rudder bell crank. FAA circular (ac 43.13-2A) stated that the sys should have been tested to insure there was no interference with the tailwheel or adjacent structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2789P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4424
- Airframe hours
- 5,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Signs Inc.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 3, 1990 · 75 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Sky-Signs, runway 34, 1,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,040 total · 344 in this make and model · 2,885 as pilot in command · 355 in the last 90 days · 177 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.