Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sky-Signs Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Conway, South Carolina 29527
Saturday, July 28, 1990 10:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BANNER TOW OPNS WERE BEING CONDUCTED. THE PLT TOOK OFF TO MAKE THE 1ST BANNER TOW OF THE DAY. WHEN THE TOW HOOK (GRAPPLING HOOK ON A ROPE) WAS DEPLOYED, THE TOW LINE BCM ENTANGLED IN THE RUDDER CTL & INTERFERED WITH ITS MOVEMENT. ACCORDING TO OPERATOR PSNL, THE PLT SHOULD HAVE VISUALLY CHECKED THE GRAPPLING HOOK LINE AFTER IT WAS DEPLOYED TO ASSURE THAT IT WAS NOT FOULED ON THE RUDDER BELL CRANK; AND IF IT WAS, HE SHOULD HAVE LNDD TO FREE THE LINE, RATHER THAN PICK UP THE BANNER. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HOOK RELEASE MECHANISM (IAW STC SA 1-349). HOWEVER, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT WHEN THE BANNER WAS CAPTURED, ITS WT PLACED TENSION ON THE TOW HOOK LINE & PRECLUDED ITS RLS AS WELL AS CAUSING A DEFLECTED RUDDER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STALLED & SPUN TO THE GND. OPERATOR PSNL RPRTD THAT THE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTROLLABLE WITH THE LINE FOULED ON THE RUDDER BELL CRANK. FAA CIRCULAR (AC 43.13-2A) STATED THAT THE SYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TESTED TO INSURE THERE WAS NO INTERFERENCE WITH THE TAILWHEEL OR ADJACENT STRUCTURE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
TOWLINE INTERFERENCE WITH THE RUDDER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/SPINN. A FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: FAILURE OF THE COMPANY/OPERATOR MANAGEMENT TO ADEQUATELY GUARD AGAINST SUCH INTERFERENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/28/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1040 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CONWAY |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29527 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SKY-SIGNS |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 25 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 45 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2160 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 28 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44581 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2789P |
| NTSB Number | ATL90FA150 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-4424 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2070 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 3 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 75 |
| Airframe Hours | 5000 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SKY SIGNS INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ROUTE 9 BOX 228B |
| Operator City | CONWAY |
| Operator State | SC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 29526 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1034 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 1500 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |