Fort Lauderdale Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309
Sunday, March 20, 1983 10:03 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT'S FATHER AND FIANCEE WERE ACTING AS GROUND CREW FOR THE BANNER PICKUP. THE PILOT'S FATHER, WHO IS A SENIOR CAPTAIN FOR PAN AM, STATED THAT THE ACFR FLEW IN A VERY ERRATIC MANNER AFTER THE BANNER TOWING HOOK WAS THROWN OUT. THE ACFT WAS BANKING AND PITCHING UNTIL IT PITCHED DOWN INTO A STEEP DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. TWO OTHER WITNESSES THOUGHT THE ACFT ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN A CROSS CONTROL OR ACCELERATED STALL CONDITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PITCH TRIM WAS IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THIS. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE OPERATED AT CONSTANT POWER DURING THE CRASH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/20/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1003
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City FORT LAUDERDALE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33309
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FORT LAUDERDALE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID FXE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 14
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1005 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID FXE
Elevation of weather observation facility 14
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
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) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 672
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 20934
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3618K
NTSB Number MIA83FA096
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model J3C-65
Aircraft Series Identifier J3C-65
Aircraft Serial Number 22310
Certified Max Gross Weight 1220
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 1 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 9
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AERIAL AIRE FLYING FORCES INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5500 N.W. 21ST TERR.
Aircraft Owner City FT. LAUDERDALE
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33309
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 0
Departure Time Zone
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 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 13
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --