Piper PA-25-235 accident near Plantation, Florida, July 25, 2003
On July 25, 2003 at about 1:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N72AB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plantation, Florida. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight planning and failure to refuel before the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced landing and damage to the airplane during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2003 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Plantation, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N72AB · registry record · serial N72AB
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after one and a half hours into the flight, when proceeding back to the airport to drop off the banner, suddenly the airplane's engine started to operate rough, and there was a decrease in engine RPMs. He said that at that time the airplane was unable to maintain altitude with the decrease in engine power. Soon after that he said the engine started to cough and the propeller began to slow its revolutions. He said he then performed the emergency checklist, and attempted to restart the engine but it would not start, so he looked for a safe area to drop the banner, and made a precautionary landing on a golf course. During landing the pilot said the right main landing hear wheel hit a "roll" in the fairway and the airplane was damaged. The pilot said that the fuel gage was indicating over a quarter of a tank of fuel, and he did not list any other mechanical failure or malfunction to the airplane or to any of its systems. An FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated that he examined the airplane, and minimal fuel was found on board the airplane, and there was no evidence of any fuel having exited the airplane as a result of the accident. In addition, the inspector said that when he interviewed the pilot, the pilot told him he had not placed any fuel in the airplane the day of the accident, and that the pilot said that when he checked the fuel quantity before the flight as part of the preflight procedure, he attempted to feel the fuel by placing his finger in the refueling access. He said the pilot said that he could not feel any fuel in the tank, so he shook the airplane, and fuel splashed on his finger. Information obtained from the operator showed that fuel had last been purchased and placed in the accident airplane's fuel tanks the day before the accident, and that another pilot employed by the operator had flown the airplane for about two and a half hours on that day.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 768 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 254 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 671 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 480 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2003; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerial Banners, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: OPF Pembroke Pines FL at 11:15 am
- Destination: OPF Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:31 pm from FLL
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA03LA149.