Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Ocean City, New Jersey, August 12, 1992
On August 12, 1992 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N9374D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ocean City, New Jersey (Ocean City Minicipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 AIRPLANE NOSING OVER ON LANDING ROLL DUE TO INADEQUATE AIRPLANE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS WHILE LANDING WITH THE BANNER ATTACHED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE USE OF ROPE INSTEAD OF STEEL CABLE, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR MOUNTED TOW HITCH, AND THE CROSSWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1992 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ocean City, New Jersey · Ocean City Minicipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9374D · no longer on the register · serial 186639
- 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 BANNER PICKUP THE TOW ROPE BECAME WRAPPED AROUND THE RELEASE HOOK AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE BANNER UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE FLIGHT. LANDING WITH A RIGHT CROSSWIND AND THE BANNER STILL ATTACHED, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AS HE SLOWED, AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SIDE, AND NOSED OVER. THE BANNER ATTACH POINT WAS A HOOK ON THE END OF A ROD, WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, WHICH IS FORWARD OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY. THIS MADE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL VERY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR FAMILIAR WITH BANNER TOWING, ROPE IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO TWISTING AROUND THE RELEASE HOOK THAN METAL CABLES. IN ADDITION, HE SAID THAT TAILWHEEL MOUNTED TOW HITCHES ARE SAFER THAN THOSE MOUNTED ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS DISCLOSED BOTH TOW HITCH SYSTEMS AND ROPE ARE IN COMMON USE FOR BANNER TOWING.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,265 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 414 in the last 90 days; 123 in the last 30 days; 1,005 as pilot in command; 231 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 1992; 108 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N6 Bargintown NJ at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 2,540 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N9374D 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.