Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the pilot to use proper wind correction technique, resulting in a loss of directional control of the aircraft.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On April 14, 2002, at 1220 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N802DA, registered to and operated by Sky Signs LLC., collided with a ditch as the pilot taxied to the ramp after landing at Sky Field in Conway, South Carolina. The banner tow flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot was not injured. The flight initially departed Conway, South Carolina, at an undetermined time.
According to the pilot, he was taxiing the airplane from the runway to a hanger when a gust of wind caused the aircraft to swerve to the left. The pilot immediately corrected with right rudder, but due to a narrow runway, did not have enough time to recover. The left main wheel of the aircraft slid into a ditch along the left side of the runway, and the left wing tip to strike the ground.
The airframe sustained structural damage. No other damage to the aircraft occurred, and there were no injuries. According to the pilot, winds at the time of the accident were variable at 7 knots, without gusts. The runway is a grass strip, 1,200 feet long by 50 feet wide. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL02LA082