Piper PA-18-150 accident near Camarillo, CA
On August 31, 2008, a Piper PA-18-150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Camarillo, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 31, 2008
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.216°N, 119.079°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080903X01361
Official records · SEA08LA192
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 31, 2008, about 0925 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N7482D, sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain while maneuvering at the Camarillo Airport (CMA), Camarillo, California. The commercial pilot, the airplane's sole occupant, was killed. The airplane was operated by Van Wagner Aerial Media of Hollywood, Florida, in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local banner tow flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed CMA about 5 minutes prior to the accident. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector who responded to the accident site, 4 witnesses, 3 of which witnessed the airplane's impact with terrain, submitted statements relative to the accident sequence. Witness #1 reported observing the pilot "...start his descent from downwind to base, continued base to final, losing altitude and leveled off about 10 feet above the ground, maybe 150 feet before the pickup point." The witness stated that as [the pilot] approached the pickup point "...I noticed a lot of rudder input. As he crossed the pickup point he pitched the nose up and applied full power and began to climb out. I saw the rope being pulled aloft and he continued his climb until the banner was pulled off the ground. He appeared to momentarily level off at about 150 above ground level, then began a rapid descent, between 35 degrees and 45 degrees, hitting the ground with a 'pop' sound and a cloud of dust." Witness #2, a ground crew employee of the banner tow company,
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to fly the correct approach profile that resulted in the inadvertent pickup of a banner tow line with the airplane's main landing gear.
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Browse: California · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
