History of Flight
On July 19, 2012, at about 1050 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, registration N4330Z, was substantially damaged when it struck a tree and terrain during a banner tow operation at Bunting's Field (4MD1) in Berlin, Maryland. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated at the same airfield. The operation was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The private airfield had a single turf runway 18/36, 3,000 feet long and 50 feet wide. Adjacent to the runway on the west side was another turf strip, approximately 900 feet long and 100 feet wide, used for banner pick-up and drop.
According to the operator, on the day of the accident, with winds generally from the west, two 6-foot-high banner pick-up masts were positioned about 8 feet apart at the southern edge of the banner strip. The banner drop area was north of the pick-up masts.
A diagram and flight demonstration indicated that pilots returning from banner flights made three inbound radio calls, including over highway landmarks. A third call was made as each airplane proceeded southbound over transmission lines about 800 feet north of the banner strip. Airplanes would then descend to about 250 feet above ground level, depending on banner size, drop the banner, add power, and climb while commencing a right turn. They would then fly a teardrop course reversal to line up northbound with the pick-up masts, descend, and snag a new banner while pitching upwards.
Several witnesses reported that the accident pilot was inbound to drop his first banner of the day and made all normal radio calls. The drop appeared normal, but ground personnel did not hear an increase in power; the airplane continued straight ahead, climbed slightly, the left wing dropped, and it entered a left spin. It descended into a tree, impacted the ground, and immediately caught fire.
Fellow pilots described the accident pilot as cautious, consistently flying correct patterns, and noted that he did not make any radio calls when the airplane failed to turn right.
Personnel Information
The 23-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. According to his logbook, he had 208 total flight hours, with 164 hours in the accident make and model, all within the previous 42 days. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2011.
Other pilots reported that the accident pilot had one beer, water, and a piece of pizza the evening before the accident. He was described as "his normal self, happy, friendly and talkative." The next morning, he went for a run and mentioned to another pilot that "the air was heavy" and that he felt he couldn't get a full breath. After a safety briefing, he went to a convenience store and a fast food store, buying a drink and a biscuit. He twice mentioned having a headache, blaming it on the previous evening's beer.
According to the pilot's wife, he sent her a text message from the airplane at 1037 and had called her about a half hour earlier. The conversation was "normal," and he did not mention any problems or headache.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at Ocean City, Maryland, about 6 nautical miles to the southeast, at 1053, included clear skies, wind from 240 degrees true at 6 knots, temperature 32°C (90°F), and dew point 24°C (75°F).
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located next to a lake, at the base of an estimated 80-foot oak tree, at approximately 38°21.48'N, 075°13.66'W. It came to rest about 185 degrees magnetic, about half a nautical mile from the banner drop. The site was on an abandoned golf course with multiple open flat areas.
The airframe was mostly consumed by fire, with only structural tubing and control cables remaining. The airplane was inverted, with the front half sticking up from the ground at about a 60-degree angle. The fuselage was folded aft of the single pilot seat, and the tail was compressed against the ground. Some tubing on the right side had separated with jagged edges.
All flight control surfaces were accounted for. Control continuity was confirmed from the control stick and rudder pedals to their respective surfaces, except that the right rudder cable was separated, appearing cut near the separated tubing.
The engine was fire-damaged, and its condition precluded confirmation of crankshaft continuity. The metal propeller, recovered from the lake, exhibited torsional bending, including a 90-degree bend near one end and multiple bends and chordwise scratching on the other. About 25 feet of the tree trunk was separated, with about 80 percent of the estimated 12-inch-diameter trunk cut at a 45-degree angle. Propeller blade torsional bending and 45-degree tree cuts were consistent with the presence of engine power at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot listed cause of death as "thermal burns and blunt force trauma" and noted no soot in the airways. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team found no pre-existing anomalies and no evidence of carbon monoxide in the blood. An NTSB Medical Officer's review noted no medical hazards in the pilot's FAA medical history and no definitive evidence of incapacitation from the autopsy, although the high temperatures from the post-crash fire affected the extent of available evidence.