Piper PA-25-235 accident near Panama City Bch, Florida, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8807L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panama City Bch, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate inflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City Bch, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8807L · registry record · serial 25-5304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the second banner tow flight of the day while flying at 800 feet msl, the engine sputtered then quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot initiated a descent for a forced landing during which, engine power was restored momentarily then the engine quit again The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a landing on a golf course and during the landing roll on a fairway, the airplane collided with a tree. The airplane then yawed 180 degrees, became airborne, and collided with a tree 15-feet agl. Post crash examination of the fuel tank and gascolator revealed no fuel. The fuel tank was intact and testing of the fuel gauge revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,521 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 254 in the last 90 days; 126 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerial Ads, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PFN
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.
Other NTSB records under N8807L 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.