What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N94MC, a Piper PA-25-235 aircraft, while doing a banner tow operation in the vecinity of downtown Houston, TX, experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot stated while operating the throttle to maintain altitude the engine did not respond normally, the RPM dropped to 1900 and would not increase. The pilot then applied carb heat with no immediate improvement in loss of RPM. The aircraft was loosing altitude rapidly with a 35' x 80' banner in tow. The pilot located a large warehouse and jettisioned the banner on the roof. After jettisioning the banner, the aircraft was able to maintain altitude. The problem with the engnie RPM appeared to be improving. The pilot return to Clover Field (lvj) and landed without further issues. The banner was on the warehouse roof top; however the tow rope was off the roof and across ernestine Dr. And a chainlink fence on the east side of the road. A motorcycle traveling south was not able to avoid the rope and the passenger on the back of the motorcycle was pulled off by the rope. The passenger sustained minor injuries (abraisions to her neck) and was transported to the hospital by EMS. A mechanic performed ground runs after the flight and all indications were normal. A compression check was performed with all cylendars in the normal range. The investigation continues by maintenance personnel.
As the FAA filed it
N94MC, A PIPER PA-25-235 AIRCRAFT, WHILE DOING A BANNER TOW OPERATION IN THE VECINITY OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, TX, EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT STATED WHILE OPERATING THE THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND NORMALLY, THE RPM DROPPED TO 1900 AND WOULD NOT INCREASE. THE PILOT THEN APPLIED CARB HEAT WITH NO IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT IN LOSS OF RPM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOOSING ALTITUDE RAPIDLY WITH A 35' X 80' BANNER IN TOW. THE PILOT LOCATED A LARGE WAREHOUSE AND JETTISIONED THE BANNER ON THE ROOF. AFTER JETTISIONING THE BANNER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGNIE RPM APPEARED TO BE IMPROVING. THE PILOT RETURN TO CLOVER FIELD (LVJ) AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUES. THE BANNER WAS ON THE WAREHOUSE ROOF TOP; HOWEVER THE TOW ROPE WAS OFF THE ROOF AND ACROSS ERNESTINE DR. AND A CHAINLINK FENCE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD. A MOTORCYCLE TRAVELING SOUTH WAS NOT ABLE TO AVOID THE ROPE AND THE PASSENGER ON THE BACK OF THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PULLED OFF BY THE ROPE. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES (ABRAISIONS TO HER NECK) AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY EMS. A MECHANIC PERFORMED GROUND RUNS AFTER THE FLIGHT AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. A COMPRESSION CHECK WAS PERFORMED WITH ALL CYLENDARS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Other reports on N94MC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.