- Date
- March 17, 2008, 16:49 local (20:49 UTC)
- Place
- Opa Locka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N169ABPiper PA-25-260
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080317836759A
- Case key
- 67683
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 entanglement of the hook rope with the rudder horn during banner pickup.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After a banner pickup, the pilot of the PA-25-260 felt the "left rudder pedal become stiff" after the banner came off of the ground. The pilot looked back at the tail of the airplane and verified that the "hook rope" had caught the towrope and not the tail wheel of the airplane. After circling to the right in the banner pattern, the pilot decided to release the banner in order to "free up the rudder." He flew over the drop zone but was unable to line the airplane up so he activated the banner release handle over a grassy area that was free from obstructions or people, but the release was not successful. The pilot still had minimal rudder control and the airplane wanted to turn to the right. He then decided to land the airplane. After lining up with another grassy area he retarded the throttle and "stalled" the airplane into a "three point landing." The airplane then touched down, veered to the right, and impacted a berm substantially damaging the airplane. Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the hook rope was wrapped around the rudder horn.
Factual narrative
After a banner pickup, the pilot of the PA-25-260 felt the "left rudder pedal become stiff" after the banner came off of the ground. The pilot looked back at the tail of the airplane and verified that the "hook rope" had caught the towrope and not the tail wheel of the airplane. After circling to the right in the banner pattern, the pilot decided to release the banner in order to "free up the rudder." He flew over the drop zone but was unable to line the airplane up so he activated the banner release handle over a grassy area that was free from obstructions or people, but the release was not successful. The pilot still had minimal rudder control and the airplane wanted to turn to the right. He then decided to land the airplane. After lining up with another grassy area he retarded the throttle and "stalled" the airplane into a "three point landing." The airplane then touched down, veered to the right, and impacted a berm substantially damaging the airplane. Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the hook rope was wrapped around the rudder horn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169AB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4517
- Airframe hours
- 4,476.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Hiott's Flight Service
- Registered owner
- Aerial Banners Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2008
- Departed
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Destination
- OPF · Opa Locka, FL
- Airport
- OPF · Opa Locka Airport
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,430 total · 700 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- opf
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 N169AB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.