20130126001879I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Stinson 108-2 · San Francisco, CA · January 26, 2013

Date: January 26, 2013 · 11:51 local
Place: San Francisco, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: WPJ7
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N331C
Reported as: Stinson 108-2
Reported engine: Continental O-470-L
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,000 total1,500 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N331CRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2018 · Stinson 108-2S/N 108-3331 · Built 1947 Airframe modelStinson 108-2 Engine modelContinental O-470-LReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Operator was conducting banner tow with five foot banner 39 characters over San Francisco. Approx. 45 minutes into the flight, the aircraft encountered gusty winds. The weak links at the lead pole gave way releasing the letters from the lead pole. Letter portion of the banner ended up over power lines.

12 Feb 2013 [dmb] reviewed investigation. Factors relating to the incident were identified as follows: gusty winds in the area of operation contributed to the banner separating from the aircraft. The investigation revealed that the banner?s lead pole should give away in instances of high stress; this design is so the aircraft will not sustain damage in the event of the banner being pulled in the opposite direction of flight.

The airmen was counseled for not exercising poc authority and responsibility by not communicating the incident to ATC. It was discovered that the airman did contact sfpd. The investigation is closed. No enforcement investigation initiated.

As the FAA filed it

OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING BANNER TOW WITH FIVE FOOT BANNER 39 CHARACTERS OVER SAN FRANCISCO. APPROX. 45 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED GUSTY WINDS. THE WEAK LINKS AT THE LEAD POLE GAVE WAY RELEASING THE LETTERS FROM THE LEAD POLE. LETTER PORTION OF THE BANNER ENDED UP OVER POWER LINES.

12 FEB 2013 [DMB] REVIEWED INVESTIGATION. FACTORS RELATING TO THE INCIDENT WERE IDENTIFIED AS FOLLOWS: GUSTY WINDS IN THE AREA OF OPERATION CONTRIBUTED TO THE BANNER SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE BANNER?S LEAD POLE SHOULD GIVE AWAY IN INSTANCES OF HIGH STRESS; THIS DESIGN IS SO THE AIRCRAFT WILL NOT SUSTAIN DAMAGE IN THE EVENT OF THE BANNER BEING PULLED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT.

THE AIRMEN WAS COUNSELED FOR NOT EXERCISING POC AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY BY NOT COMMUNICATING THE INCIDENT TO ATC. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AIRMAN DID CONTACT SFPD. THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. NO ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION INITIATED.