What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The PA-25-235 pawnee was at approximately 1,000 feet AGL and towing a 40' tall x 120' long, 4,800 square foot "billboard banner" over a congested area on the west side of Houston TX when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot said his only available forced landing area was the athletic grounds next to a high school. The pilot said he dropped his banner at 300 feet AGL and was at approximately 70 knots when he touched down on the left main gear, bounced once, and struck a 12 foot chain link fence surrounding the high school tennis courts. Total distance after initial touchdown was 280 feet. Only a superficial injury to the pilot, but there was substantial damage to the pawnee (both wing spars were damaged). FAA inspectors found water and solid contaminants in the gascolator and the carburetor bowl, and found an obvious "winged insect" trapped in the transparent in-line fuel filter. The operator's privately operated above ground fuel storage facility had no provisions for sumping the fuel, no provisions for a low point drain, no psid gauges, no water fuse, no record of filter change, no plan for quality sumping, and only a 2 lb dry chem fx, however the delivery pump sample passed a white bucket test.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PA-25-235 PAWNEE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AGL AND TOWING A 40' TALL X 120' LONG, 4,800 SQUARE FOOT "BILLBOARD BANNER" OVER A CONGESTED AREA ON THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON TX WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE PILOT SAID HIS ONLY AVAILABLE FORCED LANDING AREA WAS THE ATHLETIC GROUNDS NEXT TO A HIGH SCHOOL. THE PILOT SAID HE DROPPED HIS BANNER AT 300 FEET AGL AND WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 70 KNOTS WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, BOUNCED ONCE, AND STRUCK A 12 FOOT CHAIN LINK FENCE SURROUNDING THE HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COURTS. TOTAL DISTANCE AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS 280 FEET. ONLY A SUPERFICIAL INJURY TO THE PILOT, BUT THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PAWNEE (BOTH WING SPARS WERE DAMAGED). FAA INSPECTORS FOUND WATER AND SOLID CONTAMINANTS IN THE GASCOLATOR AND THE CARBURETOR BOWL, AND FOUND AN OBVIOUS "WINGED INSECT" TRAPPED IN THE TRANSPARENT IN-LINE FUEL FILTER. THE OPERATOR'S PRIVATELY OPERATED ABOVE GROUND FUEL STORAGE FACILITY HAD NO PROVISIONS FOR SUMPING THE FUEL, NO PROVISIONS FOR A LOW POINT DRAIN, NO PSID GAUGES, NO WATER FUSE, NO RECORD OF FILTER CHANGE, NO PLAN FOR QUALITY SUMPING, AND ONLY A 2 LB DRY CHEM FX, HOWEVER THE DELIVERY PUMP SAMPLE PASSED A WHITE BUCKET TEST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.