Banner tow flight goes awry

The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped Champion 8GCBC reported that, during a banner towing operation, the ground crew attempted to connect the banner to the hook, but the banner became caught on the tailwheel.

He made several approaches over the field in Elberta, Alabama, to dislodge the banner.

During his last attempt to dislodge the banner, he moved the throttle to idle and made a normal descent to drop the banner. The banner remained caught on the tailwheel, and he stopped the descent and then moved the throttle from idle to full power.

However, the engine sputtered, and the power did not increase.

He then visually and physically confirmed that the mixture was in the full-rich position and that the primer was in the closed-and-locked position. He attempted moving the throttle from idle to full power two more times with no subsequent change in engine power.

The pilot made a forced landing on the southwest corner of the field, and the airplane hit uneven terrain and trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage, while the pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.

During a postaccident interview, the pilot reported that, during the low-power setting approaches to release the banner, he did not use carburetor heat.

The temperature about the time of the accident was 80°F. The METAR at the nearest airport reported that the dew point about the time of the accident was 72°F. The relative humidity was about 77%.

The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing.

FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 recommends the use of carburetor heat when operating in conditions of visible moisture or high humidity while on approach with low-power settings.

The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat likely resulted in the accumulation of carburetor icing during the low-power setting approaches and led to the partial loss of engine power.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during a low-power setting approach in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.

NTSB Identification: GAA18CA503

This August 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.