- Date
- June 15, 1991, 13:36 local (17:36 UTC)
- Place
- Conway, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2GVPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910615022239A
- Case key
- 8420
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
Failure of the number two exhaust valve, which resulted in loss of engine power.
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 banner tow pilot was cruising adjacent to a local golf course at 1000 AGL when he experienced a gradual loss of engine power followed by a complete loss of engine power. Attempts to regain full power and restart the engine failed. The pilot maneuvered the airplane into position for an approach to a fairway and released the banner. The airplane came to rest 15 feet off the departure end of the fairway in a wooded area. Subsequent examinations of the airplane revealed that the #2 exhaust valve had failed. The engine was last overhauled 2556 hours prior to this accident. The exhaust valve's time in service was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2GV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-824
- Airframe hours
- 2,556
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Signs, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sky Signs, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 23, 1990 · 180 hours before
- Departed
- Conway, SC
- Destination
- N Myrtle Beach, SC
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,293 total · 1,581 in this make and model · 4,058 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRE, 25 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.