Piper PA-12 accident near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 31, 2023
On July 31, 2023 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1947 Piper PA-12, registered N3036M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a banner-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2023 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12, built 1947 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N3036M · registry record · serial 12-1581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he refueled the airplane the day before the accident and checked the fuel level during his preflight inspection the following morning. As he was conducting his second banner-tow of the day over the coastline, about 2 hours 30 minutes into the flight the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot made a forced landing in the ocean just offshore of the beach, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that while the crankshaft would not rotate more than 180 degrees, this was likely due to corrosion that was the result of exposure to saltwater during the forced landing. Internal inspection of the engine via a borescope revealed no obvious mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions that would have precluded the engine from operating at the time of the accident. Although the pilot reported departing with 33 usable gallons of fuel, the postaccident examination found no evidence of fuel leaks and both fuel tanks were intact and empty of fuel. As such, the engine most likely lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Ditching during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,046 hours in all; 2,650 in this make and model; 370 in the last 90 days; 140 in the last 30 days; 2,890 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,807 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2023
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRE Myrtle Beach SC at 1:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:31 am from KCRE, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KCRE 311531Z VRB03KT 10SM BKN023 BKN031 28/23 A3000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 5, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Mechanic Who Recovered Airplane | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Operator Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Wreckage Exam Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3036M 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.