What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had a copy of his company?s ?banner mission statement? And referred to it often. The pilot arrived at the airport on the 23rd AT10:00 a.m. for an 11:00 pickup. The pilot performed the preflight and added ½ quart of oil which brought it to 9 1/2 quarts. The pilot sumped the fuel tanks (clear and returned them to the tanks) and a visual of the levels. The pilot started the engine at 10:30 and picked the first banner at 10:45. The pilot dropped it at 12:45. The pilot pulled at 1950 RPM to give him 60-65 knots airspeed at 1000 feet. The pilot went to clearwater beach and back. The pilot taxied to the hangar and the FBO (sheltair) put 8.1 gallons left main and 8.5 gallons right main. Tip tanks were full and he sumped the mains and poured it back in tanks. The pilot setup two hooks to pull 2 one hour banners. The pilot's procedure is to start on the r. main fly for one hour and then transfer fuel for ten minutes from the r. aux tank. Second flight of the day 13:00 pickup and dropped at 14:00. The pilot continued flying and came around to pick the second banner, but knocked the rope off and had the ground person replace it. The pilot came around again and the tower cleared him for pickup. The pilot picked it and got to 250-300 feet and the engine sputtered. The pilot pushed the nose over and the engine quit. The pilot dropped the banner and headed for the water. The pilot did not remember selecting the r. main tank. The pilot thought it was still on the l. main. The pilot did not remember whether the prop was turning when the pilot hit the water (one blade was bent aft ½ inch). The pilot had turned slightly into the wind (sw). The pilot tried to pull back on the yoke, but the pilot got limited response. Water seemed to fill in from the back of the airplane. The pilot saw his headset bag floating and grabbed it and went out through the open window (water level was to the bottom of the window frame). The pilot got up on top of the wing and a fisherman picked the pilot up and took the pilot to the coast guard dock. R. main tank and both tip tanks had fuel and water but the l. main had no water or fuel, but did have a vaccum when first opened cap.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD A COPY OF HIS COMPANY?S ?BANNER MISSION STATEMENT? AND REFERRED TO IT OFTEN. THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT ON THE 23RD AT10:00 A.M. FOR AN 11:00 PICKUP. THE PILOT PERFORMED THE PREFLIGHT AND ADDED ½ QUART OF OIL WHICH BROUGHT IT TO 9 1/2 QUARTS. THE PILOT SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS (CLEAR AND RETURNED THEM TO THE TANKS) AND A VISUAL OF THE LEVELS. THE PILOT STARTED THE ENGINE AT 10:30 AND PICKED THE FIRST BANNER AT 10:45. THE PILOT DROPPED IT AT 12:45. THE PILOT PULLED AT 1950 RPM TO GIVE HIM 60-65 KNOTS AIRSPEED AT 1000 FEET. THE PILOT WENT TO CLEARWATER BEACH AND BACK. THE PILOT TAXIED TO THE HANGAR AND THE FBO (SHELTAIR) PUT 8.1 GALLONS LEFT MAIN AND 8.5 GALLONS RIGHT MAIN. TIP TANKS WERE FULL AND HE SUMPED THE MAINS AND POURED IT BACK IN TANKS. THE PILOT SETUP TWO HOOKS TO PULL 2 ONE HOUR BANNERS. THE PILOT'S PROCEDURE IS TO START ON THE R. MAIN FLY FOR ONE HOUR AND THEN TRANSFER FUEL FOR TEN MINUTES FROM THE R. AUX TANK. SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY 13:00 PICKUP AND DROPPED AT 14:00. THE PILOT CONTINUED FLYING AND CAME AROUND TO PICK THE SECOND BANNER, BUT KNOCKED THE ROPE OFF AND HAD THE GROUND PERSON REPLACE IT. THE PILOT CAME AROUND AGAIN AND THE TOWER CLEARED HIM FOR PICKUP. THE PILOT PICKED IT AND GOT TO 250-300 FEET AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PILOT PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT DROPPED THE BANNER AND HEADED FOR THE WATER. THE PILOT DID NOT REMEMBER SELECTING THE R. MAIN TANK. THE PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS STILL ON THE L. MAIN. THE PILOT DID NOT REMEMBER WHETHER THE PROP WAS TURNING WHEN THE PILOT HIT THE WATER (ONE BLADE WAS BENT AFT ½ INCH). THE PILOT HAD TURNED SLIGHTLY INTO THE WIND (SW). THE PILOT TRIED TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE, BUT THE PILOT GOT LIMITED RESPONSE. WATER SEEMED TO FILL IN FROM THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAW HIS HEADSET BAG FLOATING AND GRABBED IT AND WENT OUT THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW (WATER LEVEL WAS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW FRAME). THE PILOT GOT UP ON TOP OF THE WING AND A FISHERMAN PICKED THE PILOT UP AND TOOK THE PILOT TO THE COAST GUARD DOCK. R. MAIN TANK AND BOTH TIP TANKS HAD FUEL AND WATER BUT THE L. MAIN HAD NO WATER OR FUEL, BUT DID HAVE A VACCUM WHEN FIRST OPENED CAP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.