- Date
- August 5, 2000, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Westhampton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N17080Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000805039179A
- Case key
- 49905
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's inadequate flare during the landing. Factors were the entanglement of the tow rope with the rudder horn, and restricted rudder movement.
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 picked up a banner, and the tow rope became entangled around the airplane's rudder horn. He experienced a full right rudder deflection, and returned to the airport for landing. The pilot was unable to release the banner, and intentionally flew a steep descent angle in an attempt to land on the runway prior to the banner striking the ground. The pilot stated that he recovered too late from the descent, the airplane landed hard, and the main gear collapsed.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 2000, about 1000 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-18, N17080, was substantially damaged while making a precautionary landing at Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK), Westhampton, New York. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local banner-tow flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed FOK about 0950, and picked up a banner several minutes later.
The pilot stated that when he picked up the banner, the tow rope became entangled around the airplane's rudder horn. He experienced a full right rudder deflection, and returned to FOK for landing. The pilot was unable to release the banner, and intentionally flew a steep descent angle in an attempt to land on the runway prior to the banner striking the ground. He added that during the landing, "I pull[ed] back on the yoke and added power too late to recover from my predicament." The airplane landed hard, and the main gear collapsed.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the propeller, engine, and fuselage. With the exception of the entangled banner-tow rope around the rudder horn, the inspector did not observe any other discrepancies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17080
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7196
- Airframe hours
- 8,983
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aerial Sign Company, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 31, 2000 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- FOK
- Airport
- FOK · Francis S Gabreski, runway 1, 5,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 911 total · 180 in this make and model · 805 as pilot in command · 505 in the last 90 days · 86 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FOK
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 N17080 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.