What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A banner towing aircraft (N8715U) crashed after the engine quit while trailing another banner towing aircraft.
The pilot stated the oil temperature went to red line, and he attempted to 'lean' the engine, followed by the engine quitting. Several attempts were made to restart the engine without any success. The banner was dropped and the subsequent forced landing was made in a practice field at the university of Florida. The aircraft was destroyed as was a pickup truck.
The findings of the post accident investigation of the engine revealed very little damage to the engine itself. All the major comonents were not damaged.
The inspection did find the following:
A broken carburetor heat cable, a completely disconnected carburetor heat cable from the air box, minor damage to the carburetor heat box, and minor damage to the air filter.
The airframe was destroyed from the impact with the fence and truck causing the nose landing gear and right main landing gear to shear off, wing damage, and the fuselage to bend almost in two.
The engine was run after the post accident inspection and the engine performed normal.
The spark plugs during the post accident investigation revealed a 'blackish color/burn pattern' to them, silimilar to an over-rich operating condition. Knowing that the carburetor heat cable was found disconnected it is possible for the carburetor heat flap to move causing such a 'rich' condition. The pilots actions of 'leaning' the engine to lower the oil temperature is contrary to published emergency procedures.
As the FAA filed it
A BANNER TOWING AIRCRAFT (N8715U) CRASHED AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE TRAILING ANOTHER BANNER TOWING AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT STATED THE OIL TEMPERATURE WENT TO RED LINE, AND HE ATTEMPTED TO 'LEAN' THE ENGINE, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE QUITTING. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. THE BANNER WAS DROPPED AND THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A PRACTICE FIELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AS WAS A PICKUP TRUCK.
THE FINDINGS OF THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE ITSELF. ALL THE MAJOR COMONENTS WERE NOT DAMAGED.
THE INSPECTION DID FIND THE FOLLOWING:
A BROKEN CARBURETOR HEAT CABLE, A COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED CARBURETOR HEAT CABLE FROM THE AIR BOX, MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CARBURETOR HEAT BOX, AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIR FILTER.
THE AIRFRAME WAS DESTROYED FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE FENCE AND TRUCK CAUSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO SHEAR OFF, WING DAMAGE, AND THE FUSELAGE TO BEND ALMOST IN TWO.
THE ENGINE WAS RUN AFTER THE POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION AND THE ENGINE PERFORMED NORMAL.
THE SPARK PLUGS DURING THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A 'BLACKISH COLOR/BURN PATTERN' TO THEM, SILIMILAR TO AN OVER-RICH OPERATING CONDITION. KNOWING THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT CABLE WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE CARBURETOR HEAT FLAP TO MOVE CAUSING SUCH A 'RICH' CONDITION. THE PILOTS ACTIONS OF 'LEANING' THE ENGINE TO LOWER THE OIL TEMPERATURE IS CONTRARY TO PUBLISHED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.