Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-25-235 near Hollywood, FL — 2023-05-17

Final reportERA23FA234
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Date
2023-05-17
Location
Hollywood, FL, USA
Airport
HWO
Aircraft
PIPER PA-25-235
Registration
N430AB
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of aircraft control.

NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during a banner tow flight. The company’s ground operations director described the engine sound throughout the banner pick up, climb, and “verification” phases of the flight as normal. He heard the airport tower controller state that the airplane was not climbing and ask the pilot if he was “okay.” The pilot answered affirmatively and assured the controller he was “starting to climb.” The director then noticed the airplane was not climbing and he unsuccessfully tried to contact the pilot. The director stated the airplane’s nose-high pitch attitude was “more than needed and preventing him from climbing.” He stated the pilot then reported to air traffic control that he was at 400 ft, and he needed to drop the banner. Radar data showed that, over the last 4 minutes of the flight, the airplane was operating between 400 and 600 ft at about 55 knots (kts); there was an 11-kt tailwind. Recorded video depicted the airplane in the final seconds of the flight in a wings-level, nose-high attitude at low altitude, near rooftop height. The moment the banner was released, the airplane rolled and yawed right before the wings leveled and it descended vertically in a nose-up attitude. The airplane then rolled left and entered a steep, nose-down, left spiraling descent out of the camera’s view. Low resolution surveillance video captured the banner release, the right and left rolls, and then the spiraled, vertical, nose-down descent. The airplane continued to descend until it impacted a street, where the airplane came to rest and subsequently caught fire. The commercial pilot was recently hired by the banner tow operator, and had completed his ground training and accrued 15 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane make and model before departing on the accident flight. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. Witness accounts and video evidence suggested that the airplane was operating in the region of reverse command and that the power required to climb with the increased drag of the banner exceeded the power available at its pitch attitude. It is likely that lowering the airplane’s nose to reduce its angle of attack, while the proper technique, was counterintuitive to the pilot at such a low altitude.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have returned to HWO instead of continuing eastbound despite climb issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • Video
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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