# Incident 20130126001879I: Stinson 108-2, San Francisco, CA, January 26, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 26, 2013, 11:51 local time
- Place: San Francisco, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: WPJ7
- Location: 37.7750° N, 122.4194° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of San Francisco, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7750&lon=-122.4194&mi=10
- Aircraft: N331C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N331C-2018-03-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Stinson 108-2 (registry code 9230406, https://openairdocs.org/model/stinson-108-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470-L (registry code 17374, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: STINSON 108-2
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470-L
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130126001879I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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