NONE · PIPER PA 25-235 · 2014-05-05 · Northglenn, CO, USA
Event
NTSB number
CEN14FA230
Event ID
20140505X11439
Type
Accident
Date
2014-05-05
Location
Northglenn, CO, USA
Coordinates
39.896945, -105.000831
Injuries
Highest injury
NONE
Fatal
0
Serious
0
Minor
0
Uninjured
1
Total aboard
1
Aircraft
Make
PIPER
Model
PA 25-235
Registration
N4519Y
FAR Part
091
Engines
1
Damage
DEST
Conditions
Light
DAYL
Weather
VMC
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to operate the banner-tow flight below the minimum safe altitude specified by federal regulation, which likely limited his ability to recover from a potential loss of airspeed due to a gusting wind condition. Also causal was the pilot’s delayed decision to release the banner, which allowed the airplane to exceed its critical angle-of-attack and resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin from which he was unable to recover.