On July 25, 1992, a Piper PA-12 (registration N7712H) operated by Pritchard, Thomas A., Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Southport, NC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM OBSTACLES. A FACTOR WAS THE DUSK LIGHTING CONDITION. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot hired to drop confetti for a wedding party collided with a tree near a runway threshold at dusk, resulting in an accident during the low-altitude maneuver.
What happened
The pilot and a passenger were engaged in a commercial operation where they had been hired to overfly a wedding party. The objective of the flight was to drop confetti and notes from the aircraft. The designated drop site was located approximately 75 feet to one side of the extended centerline of the runway. This location was situated about one-quarter mile from the approach threshold.
After completing the overflight of the site, the pilot dropped the confetti. The maneuver took place at dusk, which likely reduced visibility conditions. Following the drop, the airplane collided with a tree. The specific details regarding injuries or fatalities are not provided in the source text, nor is the aircraft registration or type explicitly stated in this snippet.
Findings
The accident occurred during a low-altitude operation close to airport infrastructure. The proximity to the runway centerline and the timing of the event at dusk were significant factors in the sequence of events leading to the collision.