What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Windshift. Pilot elected pickup banner downwind. Stalled on steep climb after banner pickup. Too low to reover. (-23) the banner that Mr. Sampson was to pickup had been laid-out before the wind shifted. Rather than re-deploying it, Mr. Sampson elected to make a downwind pick-up. He engaged the towrope, initiated a steep pull-up, stalled the airplane, and disengaged the banner. His stall recovery procedure was not completed before the airplane hit the ground. The airplane received substantial damage. The pilot had only minor injury.
As the FAA filed it
WINDSHIFT. PILOT ELECTED PICKUP BANNER DOWNWIND. STALLED ON STEEP CLIMB AFTER BANNER PICKUP. TOO LOW TO REOVER. (-23) THE BANNER THAT MR. SAMPSON WAS TO PICKUP HAD BEEN LAID-OUT BEFORE THE WIND SHIFTED. RATHER THAN RE-DEPLOYING IT, MR. SAMPSON ELECTED TO MAKE A DOWNWIND PICK-UP. HE ENGAGED THE TOWROPE, INITIATED A STEEP PULL-UP, STALLED THE AIRPLANE, AND DISENGAGED THE BANNER. HIS STALL RECOVERY PROCEDURE WAS NOT COMPLETED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT HAD ONLY MINOR INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.