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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

June 22, 1997 · Cessna 175A · N6844E

Panama City Bch, FL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
June 22, 1997
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Panama City Bch, FL
Aircraft
Cessna 175A
Tail Number
N6844E
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ATL97LA089

The pilot took off without checking the weather and flew to Panama City Beach with a banner. After arriving at the beach, which was about 10 miles away, the pilot received a report over the radio that there were thunderstorms in the area. He decided to return to the departure airstrip. After waiting for showers to pass over the strip, the pilot dropped his banner, and lined up for landing. He said the landing approach seemed normal until he attempted to brake after touchdown. The brakes were ineffective, and the pilot was unable to stop on the 1000 foot, wet, grass strip. The airplane went off the departure end of the strip and into a ditch.

NTSB Probable Cause

failure of the pilot to account for the reduced braking effectiveness on the wet/grass airstrip, which resulted in an overrun and encounter with a ditch. Factors relating to the accident were: failure of the pilot to obtain weather information before departure, the short/wet landing strip, and the ditch that was encountered.

Full Narrative

On June 22, 1997, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 175, N6844E, collided with a ditch while on landing roll-out at Buchanan Stolport Airstrip, Panama City Beach, Florida. The banner towing airplane was operated by Aerial Ads, Inc. under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot was not injured. There was no flight plan for this local flight which departed at 1435. The pilot decided to take-off from the grass strip, without checking the weather, after hearing from other pilots that the weather was "good enough to fly". The pilot picked up a banner, and flew to Panama City Beach, about 10 miles to the east of the departure airstrip. There were reports over the radio that there were thunderstorms in the area, so all the banner towing airplanes, including N6844E, decided to return to their departure fields. Buchanan Stolport was a grass strip approximately 1000 feet long. It was wet because light showers had passed through the area since the pilot's departure. After waiting for the shower to pass, the pilot overflew the field and dropped his banner. When he circled and attempted to make a normal landing on the wet grass, he was unable to slow the airplane down and went off the end of the runway into a ditch. The nose wheel collapsed, and the firewall was damaged. There was also structural damage to the right horizontal stabilizer.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:00 CDT
Nearest AirportBuchanan Stolport (1nm N)
Runway36
Runway Length1000 ft
Runway Width50 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 175A
Tail NumberN6844E
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-360-A1D · Reciprocating · 180
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 25 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind3 kt
Visibility6 sm
CeilingOvercast 5000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point61 F
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time19:00
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data