What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Picked up banner and dropped it. Stalled. Impact right wing low. Indicates pilot lacked skill per airspeed control. (-23) pilot was a part time banner tow pilot for company and normally flew a C-172 for banner towing. On this day he went to the airport in his own personally owned C-170 and told the banner tow operator that he wanted to tow a "happy birthday" banner for his sister's birthday. The owner of the company said that the company airplane was busy and the pilot said he would fly the banner with his own airplane. After some discussion about the airplane not being on the banner tow waiver the pilot towed the banner and returned to the airport and dropped it. Later he asked to tow a larger banner to see how the C-170 would do with it. It was decided that he could make a trip aroung the patter with a banner that was scheduled to be towed a little later in the day and was already laid out. The ground crew mentioned that the wind was picking up and was shifting to the west from the north where it had been earlier. The pilot picked up the banner on the first pass and witnesses reported that the pick up looked good, nonetheless the pilot released I t just about the time it was fully clear of the ground. The witnesses also said that the drop looked good and the airplane continued a normal looking shallow climb with what sounded like normal engine noises until about the time the C-170 was over the end of the runway and about 150 ft. high. At that point the wings started to rock and the nose started to drop and the airplane began an ever increasing right turn as the nose continued to drop until it impacted the ground almost vertical. Post accident examination of the wreckage did not disclose any indication that the banner or its tow rope had caught on or damaged anything. The tow release worked normally when tested. There was some fuel in the fuel tanks after the accident. Although this inspector was not present when the engine was examined, the NTSB investigator said that the carburetor float bowl had fuel in it. The control systems appeared to be intact.
As the FAA filed it
PICKED UP BANNER AND DROPPED IT. STALLED. IMPACT RIGHT WING LOW. INDICATES PILOT LACKED SKILL PER AIRSPEED CONTROL. (-23) PILOT WAS A PART TIME BANNER TOW PILOT FOR COMPANY AND NORMALLY FLEW A C-172 FOR BANNER TOWING. ON THIS DAY HE WENT TO THE AIRPORT IN HIS OWN PERSONALLY OWNED C-170 AND TOLD THE BANNER TOW OPERATOR THAT HE WANTED TO TOW A "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" BANNER FOR HIS SISTER'S BIRTHDAY. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY SAID THAT THE COMPANY AIRPLANE WAS BUSY AND THE PILOT SAID HE WOULD FLY THE BANNER WITH HIS OWN AIRPLANE. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AIRPLANE NOT BEING ON THE BANNER TOW WAIVER THE PILOT TOWED THE BANNER AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND DROPPED IT. LATER HE ASKED TO TOW A LARGER BANNER TO SEE HOW THE C-170 WOULD DO WITH IT. IT WAS DECIDED THAT HE COULD MAKE A TRIP AROUNG THE PATTER WITH A BANNER THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE TOWED A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY AND WAS ALREADY LAID OUT. THE GROUND CREW MENTIONED THAT THE WIND WAS PICKING UP AND WAS SHIFTING TO THE WEST FROM THE NORTH WHERE IT HAD BEEN EARLIER. THE PILOT PICKED UP THE BANNER ON THE FIRST PASS AND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PICK UP LOOKED GOOD, NONETHELESS THE PILOT RELEASED I T JUST ABOUT THE TIME IT WAS FULLY CLEAR OF THE GROUND. THE WITNESSES ALSO SAID THAT THE DROP LOOKED GOOD AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED A NORMAL LOOKING SHALLOW CLIMB WITH WHAT SOUNDED LIKE NORMAL ENGINE NOISES UNTIL ABOUT THE TIME THE C-170 WAS OVER THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ABOUT 150 FT. HIGH. AT THAT POINT THE WINGS STARTED TO ROCK AND THE NOSE STARTED TO DROP AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN AN EVER INCREASING RIGHT TURN AS THE NOSE CONTINUED TO DROP UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND ALMOST VERTICAL. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY INDICATION THAT THE BANNER OR ITS TOW ROPE HAD CAUGHT ON OR DAMAGED ANYTHING. THE TOW RELEASE WORKED NORMALLY WHEN TESTED. THERE WAS SOME FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THIS INSPECTOR WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED, THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR SAID THAT THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL HAD FUEL IN IT. THE CONTROL SYSTEMS APPEARED TO BE INTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.