Accident · 2005-12-18

What the record says

Event date

2005-12-18

Event type

Accident

Highest injury level

Minor injury

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235 (N86AB)

Operating rule

Part 91

Operator

operator not named in the NTSB record

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain airspeed following a reported loss of engine power, resulting in a stall/mush, uncontrolled descent, and in-flight collision with terrain. Factors in the accident were the pilot's intentional operation of the airplane with known deficiencies (inoperative No. 3 banner release), and inadequate installation of the banner tow-release hook assembly by company maintenance personnel.

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.