- Date
- June 10, 1989, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Erma, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N46286Piper J-3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890610015249A
- Case key
- 36421
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during 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 was under training for a banner towing letter of authorization and was practicing pickups of full size banners. After pickup, and at an altitude of 250 feet, the airplane stalled and descended into the trees. The pilot stated that the pickup was o.k., but the winds were gusty and it was a hot day.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46286
- Reported as
- Piper J-3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- G-95
- Airframe hours
- 6,491
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paramount Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- WWD · Wildwood, NJ
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 738 total · 63 in this make and model · 632 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N46286 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.