What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-19) On April 6, 2001 at 1953 CDT, a Piper PA-25-235 pawnee single-engine airplane, N4514Y, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees in a residential arera during a forced landing following a loss of engine power at clover field, Pearland, Texas. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated by night hawk aerial advertising of Pearland, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 banner towing flight. The local flight originated from the clover field at an unknown time. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the pilot stated that he returned to clover field after the banner towing flight over downtown houston. He stated that he experienced difficulty releasing the banner and landed on the grass between runways 14L and 14R. He stated that he dragged the banner on the ground and it eventurally released; however, he was too close to the end of the runway to stop, so he performed a go-around. The pilot told the FAA inspector that while he was in the traffic pattern "he ran out of fuel" and the engine "quit". The pilot could not make it back to the runway and elected to aim for trees in the residential area. The airplane impacted the trees, its left wing separated, and the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. (-23)the aircraft had just completed a banner towing flight in the downtown houston area near enron field and had return to clover airport for landing. The pilot stated that he had attempted to drop the banner at the designated location on the airport but was having difficulty getting it to release. He then decided to land on runway 14L with the banner still attached to the aircraft. After touching down, the force of the banner on the runway was sufficient to release it from the aircraft. The pilot then did a go around maneuver, remaining in closed traffic to be followed by a landing. At approximately half way through the maneuver (downwind) the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed approximately 1/4 mile from the airport. The pilot stated he departed with 50 gal of fuel onboard the aircraft and the flight had taken approximately 3HRS. To complete.
As the FAA filed it
(-19) ON APRIL 6, 2001 AT 1953 CDT, A PIPER PA-25-235 PAWNEE SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N4514Y, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES IN A RESIDENTIAL ARERA DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT CLOVER FIELD, PEARLAND, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND WAS OPERATED BY NIGHT HAWK AERIAL ADVERTISING OF PEARLAND, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 BANNER TOWING FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CLOVER FIELD AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RETURNED TO CLOVER FIELD AFTER THE BANNER TOWING FLIGHT OVER DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. HE STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY RELEASING THE BANNER AND LANDED ON THE GRASS BETWEEN RUNWAYS 14L AND 14R. HE STATED THAT HE DRAGGED THE BANNER ON THE GROUND AND IT EVENTURALLY RELEASED; HOWEVER, HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY TO STOP, SO HE PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT WHILE HE WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN "HE RAN OUT OF FUEL" AND THE ENGINE "QUIT". THE PILOT COULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY AND ELECTED TO AIM FOR TREES IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TREES, ITS LEFT WING SEPARATED, AND THE RIGHT WING AND FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23)THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COMPLETED A BANNER TOWING FLIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AREA NEAR ENRON FIELD AND HAD RETURN TO CLOVER AIRPORT FOR LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO DROP THE BANNER AT THE DESIGNATED LOCATION ON THE AIRPORT BUT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING IT TO RELEASE. HE THEN DECIDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14L WITH THE BANNER STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE FORCE OF THE BANNER ON THE RUNWAY WAS SUFFICIENT TO RELEASE IT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT THEN DID A GO AROUND MANEUVER, REMAINING IN CLOSED TRAFFIC TO BE FOLLOWED BY A LANDING. AT APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY THROUGH THE MANEUVER (DOWNWIND) THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED WITH 50 GAL OF FUEL ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FLIGHT HAD TAKEN APPROXIMATELY 3HRS. TO COMPLETE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.