Piper PA-25-260 accident near St. Petersburg, FL
On August 31, 2014, a Piper PA-25-260 (airplane) was involved in an accident near St. Petersburg, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 31, 2014
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-260 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 27.765°N, 82.627°W
- NTSB ID
- 20140831X63850
Official records · ERA14FA416
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 31, 2014, at 1455 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-25-260, N254AB, was destroyed when it collided with water following a banner pick up at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was registered to Aerial Banners North INC. and operated by Advertising Air Force as a banner tow flight. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the SPG tower controller, the airplane was cleared for takeoff from runway 7. As the airplane departed runway 7, the pilot made a right turn to the intersecting runway 18. The airplane side-stepped the runway to the left and picked up the banner. As the airplane pitched up to climb out, the pilot made a distress call before losing control, entering a downward spiral, and colliding with the water. According to a witness, they watched as the banner tow airplane picked up the banner, and as they were attempting to read the banner the airplane suddenly made a sharp bank to the left. The witness also said that the airplane was at a high angle of attack before it "stalled" and went into a tight, nose down spin towards the water. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 70, held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane multi-engine land and sea; single-engine land, single-engine sea, and glider. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class
Probable cause
The pilot's improper deployment of the banner-tow hook, which resulted in it becoming entangled between the left elevator and horizontal stabilizer, restricted the movement of the elevator, and led to a loss of airplane control.
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Browse: Florida · 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.
