Piper PA-18-150 accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 15, 2012
On July 15, 2012 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N8048D, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Grand Strand Airport). It was a banner-towing 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 inadequate use of carburetor heat during cruise flight, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2012 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Grand Strand Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8048D · registry record · serial 54-2592
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was conducting a banner-tow flight; he turned on final approach at 300 feet above ground level (agl) and reduced the power to the idle position. His airspeed was between 60 and 70 mph. The carburetor heat was not activated, which the pilot indicated was company policy. The company refuted the pilot’s statement regarding carburetor heat. The airplane descended to about 10 feet agl and was 50 feet from the banner pick up poles. He added full power and noticed that the rpm was at 2,500, which was 100 rpm less than full power. He pitched the nose up and the airplane climbed to about 200 feet. The rpm continued to decrease to 1500 rpm. The pilot lowered the nose and checked the throttle, and it was full forward. He increased the mixture, and there was no change in rpm. The airplane would not maintain altitude, and he informed the tower that he was going down. He reduced the throttle to the idle position and lowered the flaps to the full down position. He made a forced landing beyond the banner tow grass area, clearing a berm and colliding with the airport perimeter fence. The airplane nosed over and came to a complete stop and the engine stopped running. The pilot turned the fuel off at the fuel selector valve. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airframe or flight controls before the accident. A carburetor icing chart indicated that the airplane was at risk of serious icing at glide power given the weather conditions at the time of the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 783 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 222 in the last 90 days; 117 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command; 77 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 30, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,747 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 2012; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Barnstormer Flite Signs INC
The flight
- Departed from: CRE North Myrtle Beach SC at 12:45 pm
- Destination: CRE North Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from CRE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N8048D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.