Piper PA 25 accident near Foley, Alabama, July 20, 2004
On July 20, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA 25, registered N7222Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Foley, Alabama (Collier Airstrip airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during climbout which resulted in a stall while maneuvering to pick up a banner.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Foley, Alabama · Collier Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 25 · all PA 25s on the register
- Registration
- N7222Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was attempting to pick up a banner in preparation for a banner towing flight. The pilot stated he made two failed attempts to pick up the banner. The pilot was successful on the third attempt. After connecting with the banner the airplane was in a steep left turn, efforts by the pilot to level the wings were unsuccessful, and the airplane descended to the ground. Examination of the wreckage at the wreckage site revealed the airplane was in a nose low attitude and the leading edge of the left wing was damaged. The left wing was displaced aft from its normally installed position. Additionally the left wing had spar damage. The firewall was buckled, and the tail wheel was separated. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane during flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,867 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Collier AL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Foley AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.