Piper PA-25-235 N8785L
16 August 2003 · West Palm Beach, Florida, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 16 August 2003 at about 15:46 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N8785L, operated by Barry Aviation Florida, Inc., was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- North Palm Beach County (F45)
- Coordinates
- 26.8453, -80.2214
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235
- Registration
- N8785L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Barry Aviation Florida, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- West Palm Beach → West Palm Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA03LA162
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The poor judgment by the pilot-in-command of the airplane for his initiation of takeoff after the helicopter pilot had announced intention to perform a 180-degree autorotation to the runway, and the failure of both pilots to maintain visual lookout resulting in the in-flight collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The CFI and student in the Robinson helicopter had been flying for approximately 46 minutes and the CFI elected to finish the training session with her demonstration of a 180-degree autorotation. The pilot of the Piper airplane had been towing gliders earlier and after landing following another tow, the next glider was connected. An occupant of the helicopter announced on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), "North County traffic helicopter one Zulu Gulf is turning left downwind at (500) feet for practice one eighty autorotation North County." The pilot of the Piper airplane reported seeing the helicopter just starting the downwind leg and made an announcement on the CTAF announcing his takeoff. The transmissions recorded on the CTAF did not include ground communications. Witnesses noted the helicopter on the downwind leg while the airplane began the takeoff roll. The helicopter was then observed to make a left turn and was noted by the pilot of the glider being towed to be slightly above and behind to his left and was paralleling the flight path of the airplane. The airplane and helicopter collided; following which, the airplane continued straight ahead for a short distance before descending nose and left-wing low into a marsh. The helicopter impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of both aircraft revealed the main rotor of the helicopter contacted the left main landing gear tire and section of leading edge of the left wing of the airplane. The airport did not have a memorandum of agreement with any operators at the airport pertaining to helicopter and fixed wing operations to runway 8L.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-25-235 | N8785L | Barry Aviation Florida, Inc. | Substantial |
| Robinson R22 BETA | N341ZG | - | Substantial |
Other Piper PA-25 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun 2003 | Piper PA-25-235 | Gulf Hammock, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-25-235 | Plantation, Florida, United States | Aerial Banners, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-25 | Brandon, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-25-235 | Sparta, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Aug 2002 | Piper PA-25-235 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2004 | Piper PA-25-235 | Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,925 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 2003 | Cessna 172RG | Key West, Florida, United States | Avion Jet Center, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2003 | Champion AERONCA 7BCM | Pahokee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 2003 | Airbus A330 | Miami, Florida, United States | Edelweiss Air AG | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 2003 | Samual G Dasilva VELOCITY | Sebastian, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-31 | Clearwater, Florida, United States | Bruce T. Kendell | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Jan 2003 | Cessna 172P | Edgewater, Florida, United States | Comair Aviation Academy, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |