Piper PA-12 accident near Ponce Inlet, Florida, August 11, 2025
On August 11, 2025 at about 5:59 pm local time, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N2504M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ponce Inlet, Florida (New Smyrna Beach Municipal Air 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2025 · about 5:59 pm local time
- Place
- Ponce Inlet, Florida · New Smyrna Beach Municipal Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12, built 1946 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2504M · registry record · serial 12-1002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 11, 2024, about 1359 easter daylight time, a Piper PA-12, N2504M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ponce Inlet, Florida. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 banner tow flight. The pilot reported that during the second flight of the day, the airplane departed with 17 gallons of fuel. About 1 hour after departure at about 500 ft mean seal level, the airplane experienced a momentary surge in engine power. The engine anomaly repeated several times before the engine lost power completely. Unable to restore engine power, the pilot released the banner and performed a forced landing to an exposed sandbar. During the landing roll, the airplane overran the sandbar, nosed over in the water. The rudder struck the river bottom, substantially damaging it. The airplane came to rest inverted in about 2 ft of saltwater about 2 miles northeast of New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport (EVB), New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,341.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 2, 2025; 79.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Aerial Messages Leasing CO
The flight
- Departed from: X50 New Smyrna Beach FL at 4:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:47 pm from EVB, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEVB 111747Z 11010KT 10SM SCT035 32/27 A3007
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.