A 1965 single engine Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee B, registration N7408Z, owned by Flying Weaners and used for towing advertising banners, crashed on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 11:15 a.m. EST shortly after taking off from Craig Airport (CRG) in Jacksonville, Florida, as reported on Monday, January 2, 2012 by the Miami Herald, CNN, the Aviation Safety Network, the Federal Aviation Administration, WTLV First Coast News, and multiple other media sources.
The pilot of the plane, 32-year-old William Jones Eubanks of Daytona Beach, FL died on impact.
According to witnesses, the aircraft had just taken off from Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport when it was buffeted by a gust of wind. The pilot then released his banner, and tried to regain control of the plane, steering it away from a Shell gas station and a tent selling fireworks.
However, the light plane rolled over, stalled, and nose dived into a parking lot, hitting a pickup truck, and coming to rest near the intersection of Atlantic Boulevard and Saint Johns Bluff Road North, about 25 yards from the fireworks vendor, as seen in the attached slide show.
A video clip showing a similar Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee also accompanies this report.
The Pawnee B was fitted with a 235hp Lycoming O-540 six-cylinder engine, giving it an increased payload of 1,200 pounds. It was being used by Beach Banners of Jacksonville for aerial advertising, and was a common sight over the area's beaches and tourist attractions.
Piper Aircraft introduced the PA-25 Pawnee in August 1959, and sold the plane until 1982 as a utility aircraft for use in agriculture, and as a tow plane for gliders and other applications.
According to the Wikipedia, the plane has a maximum speed of 117 mph, a range of 300 miles, a service ceiling of 13,000 feet, and a rate of climb of 630 feet per minute.
Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the fatal crash, and have moved the wreckage to a secure site.
We offer our sincere condolences to the pilot's family, friends and colleagues.
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