- Date
- July 26, 1998, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8807LPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980726017739A
- Case key
- 43528
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's inadequate inflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
Analysis
During the second banner tow flight of the day while flying at 800 feet msl, the engine sputtered then quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot initiated a descent for a forced landing during which, engine power was restored momentarily then the engine quit again The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a landing on a golf course and during the landing roll on a fairway, the airplane collided with a tree. The airplane then yawed 180 degrees, became airborne, and collided with a tree 15-feet agl. Post crash examination of the fuel tank and gascolator revealed no fuel. The fuel tank was intact and testing of the fuel gauge revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
Factual narrative
On July 26, 1998, about 1400 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N8807L, registered to Aerial Ads of the Southeast, collided with trees during a forced landing on a golf course near Panama City Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 banner tow flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The flight originated about 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
The pilot stated that during the second banner tow flight of the day while flying at 800 feet msl over the beach, the engine sputtered then quit. He initiated a descent for a forced landing during which the engine responded momentarily then quit again. He maneuvered the airplane towards a golf course fairway due to congestion on a nearby road and dropped the banner. After touchdown on the fairway during the landing roll, the left wing collided with a tree causing the airplane to yaw to the left 180 degrees. The airplane then became airborne momentarily, collided with a tree about 15 feet agl, and came to rest in a nose low attitude resting against the downslope of an embankment to a pond.
According to the individual who assisted with the recovery of the airplane, the fuel tank was not damaged and did not contain any fuel. Also, no fuel was found in the fuel gascolator and the carburetor was separated due to impact damage. No fuel was noted on the water adjacent to the resting point of the airplane. According to the operator, after recovery of the airplane, the fuel tank was filled with water then drained 5 gallons at a time. The fuel gauge was determined to move with each decrease in fuel quantity. The fuel tank was also removed from the airplane and inspected internally with no defects noted.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8807L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-5304
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Aerial Ads, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aerial Ads Of The Southeast
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 25, 1998 · 5 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,521 total · 31 in this make and model · 254 in the last 90 days · 126 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PFN
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 N8807L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.