What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Banner tow flight. Landing lost power. Dropped banner. No restart. Landed off airport. Hit trees. Cause unknown. (-23) pilot stated: during the return flight to La Porte, TX (T41) while towing a banner. His engine started losing power and surging. After determining he could not reach the airport he dropped the banner and attempted an emergency landing, into a field, approximately 3 miles from the airport. On roll out the aircraft hit small trees, damaging the engine cowl, wings, stabilizer, leading edges and breaking the right rear wing spar at the attachment point. (.19) on December 17, 1996, at 1315 central standard time, a Cessna A188, N9860V, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near La Porte, Texas. The airplane, owned and operated by a private owner, was being operated under title 14 CFR part 91. The airline transport rated pilot, sole occupant of the airplane was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight, for which a flight plan was not filed. The airplane departed from the la port municipal airport at 1130 on a local banner towing flight. According to the pilot, he was en route to the departure airport to drop off the banner when "the engine started to run rough, coughed and lost power." The pilot elected to execute a forced landing to an open field, approximately 3 miles from the airport. During the landing roll the airplane went through a fence line. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the rear spar on the right wing was bent, the left flap was torn, the left horizontal stabilator sustained structural damage, and both wing tips were damaged.
As the FAA filed it
BANNER TOW FLIGHT. LANDING LOST POWER. DROPPED BANNER. NO RESTART. LANDED OFF AIRPORT. HIT TREES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. (-23) PILOT STATED: DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT TO LA PORTE, TX (T41) WHILE TOWING A BANNER. HIS ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER AND SURGING. AFTER DETERMINING HE COULD NOT REACH THE AIRPORT HE DROPPED THE BANNER AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING, INTO A FIELD, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. ON ROLL OUT THE AIRCRAFT HIT SMALL TREES, DAMAGING THE ENGINE COWL, WINGS, STABILIZER, LEADING EDGES AND BREAKING THE RIGHT REAR WING SPAR AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT. (.19) ON DECEMBER 17, 1996, AT 1315 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA A188, N9860V, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR LA PORTE, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE OWNER, WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE BUSINESS FLIGHT, FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE LA PORT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT 1130 ON A LOCAL BANNER TOWING FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS EN ROUTE TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO DROP OFF THE BANNER WHEN "THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, COUGHED AND LOST POWER." THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE WENT THROUGH A FENCE LINE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE REAR SPAR ON THE RIGHT WING WAS BENT, THE LEFT FLAP WAS TORN, THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILATOR SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, AND BOTH WING TIPS WERE DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9860V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.