- Date
- July 8, 1991, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4401MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910708026579A
- Case key
- 8429
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
The failure of the number 4 cylinder exhaust valve. Factors in the accident were the lack of a suitable landing site and the water ditching.
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
After about 30 minutes of operation, during a banner tow flight, the engine began to run roughly. The airplane was at 300 feet over the ocean adjacent to a public Beach. Unable to maintain altitude the pilot ditched in the ocean to avoid the crowded Beach. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed that the no. 4 cylinder exhaust valve had broken at the piston end. The engine had 1939 hours since the last overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4401M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-3341
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Signs, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Emu, Inc
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 6, 1991 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Conway, 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 761 total · 120 in this make and model · 280 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRE, 1 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 N4401M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.