- Date
- April 3, 1993, 11:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Walton Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7011KPiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930403007909A
- Case key
- 33249
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 pilot-in-command's failure to visually inspect the grapple hook/cable after deployment, to ensure it was free from all control surfaces prior to initiating a banner pickup.
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 pilot released a grapple hook in preparation of picking up a banner, and did not visually check the grapple hook after deployment. Upon banner hook up, the pilot had to apply full right rudder to maintain directional control. The grapple hook was entrangled around the rudder post horn. Attempts to release the banner were unsuccessful. A forced landing was conducted to the beach. On landing roll out the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7011K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-117
- Airframe hours
- 1,477
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Boomer Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Jeter D. Barron
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 1992 · 57 hours before
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,032 total · 65 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command · 183 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HRT, 10 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.