Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA12 near Middle Township, NJ — 2022-07-16

Final reportERA22FA315
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Date
2022-07-16
Location
Middle Township, NJ, USA
Airport
JY04
Aircraft
PIPER PA12
Registration
N3703M
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a missed banner pickup, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.

NTSB narrative

The banner tow pilot had worked for the operator for about 2 months, and the accident flight was the first flight of the day. The pilot departed from the runway and flew a left traffic pattern to pick up the banner at the approach end of the opposite runway, which was normal procedure. Witnesses stated that the airplane descended between the poles, missed the banner, and the pilot initiated an aggressive, almost vertical climb. One witness stated that it appeared as though the accident pilot "kicked rudder" at the top of the climb to see if he had picked up the banner. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall/spin and descended to ground contact. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the banner pickup attempt, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided abrupt climb after missing the banner pickup.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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