Action Brought By Family Of Pilot Fatally Injured In 2014 Accident

An contract air traffic control company and a banner-towing operation have been named as defendants in a lawsuit brought by the family of a commercial pilot fatally injured in an accident in Florida in 2014.

The suit was filed in Pinellas Circuit Court by the family of Donald Thomasson. He was fatally injured as a direct result of what is described in the suit as a "dangerous pick-and-go" maneuver while flying for Advertising Air Force Inc.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that according to the court documents, the FAA determined that the accident was the direct result of the maneuver.

Thomasson was flying a Piper PA-25 that went into the water about 75 yards south of the seawall at Albert Whitted Airport. The family also has named Orlando-based Robinson Aviation, the contract controller that cleared Thomasson for takeoff from the airport; Aerial Banners; and the instructor who trained Thomasson on behalf of Advertising Air Force.

Aircraft belonging to the company have reportedly been involved in five accidents at Albert Whitted since 1989. Thomasson was the first pilot to be fatally injured flying for the company.

According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the Piper PA-25-260, N254AB, operated by Aerial Banners, Inc., was destroyed when with the pilot lost control and the airplane descended to water impact following a banner pick up at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The banner-tow flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the SPG tower controller, the airplane was cleared for takeoff from runway 7. As the airplane departed runway 7, the pilot made a sharp right turn to the intersecting runway. The airplane side stepped runway 18 to the left and picked up the banner. As the airplane pitched up to climb out, the pilot made a distress call before losing control and entering a downward spiral and colliding with the water.

According to a witness, they watched as the banner tow airplane picked up the banner. As they were attempting to read the banner, the airplane suddenly made a sharp bank to the left. The witness went on to say that the airplane was at a high angle of attack, stalled and went into a tight nose down spin towards the water.

FMI: www.mypinellasclerk.org, NTSB report