- Date
- January 6, 1985, 14:14 local (19:14 UTC)
- Place
- Miramar, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3362MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850106000199A
- Case key
- 31338
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
An interruption of pwr was experienced as an abrupt steep dive maneuver was entered to release the banner towed by the acft. The plt then attempted a 180 deg turn at an alt of aprx 200 ft AGL to avoid pwr lines. The acft entered a high descent rate and contacted the ground nearly wings level. Investigation revealed the right fuel tank contained aprx 7 gals of fuel and the left tank contained aprx 1 gal. The fuel pick-up lines are located in the aft portion of the fuel tanks. Fuel starvation resulted as the fuel was in te forward portion of the tanks during the dive maneuver and fuel in the lines was exhausted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3362M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2238
- Airframe hours
- 2,854
- Engine
- Lycoming 0320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Aerial Sign Co Inc
- Registered owner
- Bob L. May
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 1984
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 923 total · 38 in this make and model · 115 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 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.