Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Opa Locka Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Opa Locka, Florida 33054
Monday, March 17, 2008 16:49 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The entanglement of the hook rope with the rudder horn during banner pickup.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/17/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1649 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Opa Locka |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33054 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 255425N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0801642W |
| Event Location Airport | Opa Locka Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OPF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 8 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | opf |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 8 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23536 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 17 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 30 2008 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Miami, FL |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N169AB |
| NTSB Number | NYC08CA141 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-25-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25-4517 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Mar 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4476.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aerial Banners Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pembroke Pines |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33023 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Hiott's Flight Service |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Palm Coast |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32135 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Banner Tow |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HWO |
| Departure City | Hollywood |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | OPF |
| Destination City | Opa Locka |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 18 2008 2:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |