Piper PA-25-235 N72AB

Summary

On 25 July 2003 at about 13:05 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N72AB, operated by Aerial Banners, Inc., was involved in an accident near Plantation, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 2003 at 13:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Plantation, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.0014, -80.2403

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N72AB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aerial Banners, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pembroke Pines → Miami

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03LA149

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper preflight planning and failure to refuel before the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced landing and damage to the airplane during the landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that after one and a half hours into the flight, when proceeding back to the airport to drop off the banner, suddenly the airplane's engine started to operate rough, and there was a decrease in engine RPMs. He said that at that time the airplane was unable to maintain altitude with the decrease in engine power. Soon after that he said the engine started to cough and the propeller began to slow its revolutions. He said he then performed the emergency checklist, and attempted to restart the engine but it would not start, so he looked for a safe area to drop the banner, and made a precautionary landing on a golf course. During landing the pilot said the right main landing hear wheel hit a "roll" in the fairway and the airplane was damaged. The pilot said that the fuel gage was indicating over a quarter of a tank of fuel, and he did not list any other mechanical failure or malfunction to the airplane or to any of its systems. An FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated that he examined the airplane, and minimal fuel was found on board the airplane, and there was no evidence of any fuel having exited the airplane as a result of the accident. In addition, the inspector said that when he interviewed the pilot, the pilot told him he had not placed any fuel in the airplane the day of the accident, and that the pilot said that when he checked the fuel quantity before the flight as part of the preflight procedure, he attempted to feel the fuel by placing his finger in the refueling access. He said the pilot said that he could not feel any fuel in the tank, so he shook the airplane, and fuel splashed on his finger. Information obtained from the operator showed that fuel had last been purchased and placed in the accident airplane's fuel tanks the day before the accident, and that another pilot employed by the operator had flown the airplane for about two and a half hours on that day.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.