What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 6, 2019, approximately 2040 eastern daylight time, a Piper pa 18-150, super cub, N796AB, operated by a commercial pilot was substantially damaged, when it stalled at low altitude and impacted the ground at the James Clements (3CM) airport in Bay City, MI. The airplane was registered to drake aerial enterprises, LLC, and operated by air america aerial ADS, under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the banner-towing flight; winds at the time were reported by witnesses as ?gusty out of the northeast.? The aircraft approached from the southwest to drop the banner it had been towing for the last 3 hours. Upon completion of the banner drop, the aircraft began its pattern to pick up the next banner. When the aircraft began its left turn in the pattern, it was slow enough to no longer be able to sustain controllable flight. At this point, the left wing dropped, and the aircraft began a turn toward the south and decsended rapidly. Scar markings on the ground are consistent with left wing tip impact, until the impact of the nose of the aircraft. Once the propeller and engine impacted the ground the aircraft finished its rotation and skidded to a stop at the intersection of a taxi way and runway 18/36, with the left wing still hanging over the grass on approximately a 030 heading.
Pilot contact has been initiated, however, due to injuries interview has not been completed as of 8/8/2019.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 6, 2019, APPROXIMATELY 2040 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA 18-150, SUPER CUB, N796AB, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, WHEN IT STALLED AT LOW ALTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT THE JAMES CLEMENTS (3CM) AIRPORT IN BAY CITY, MI. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO DRAKE AERIAL ENTERPRISES, LLC, AND OPERATED BY AIR AMERICA AERIAL ADS, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE BANNER-TOWING FLIGHT; WINDS AT THE TIME WERE REPORTED BY WITNESSES AS ?GUSTY OUT OF THE NORTHEAST.? THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO DROP THE BANNER IT HAD BEEN TOWING FOR THE LAST 3 HOURS. UPON COMPLETION OF THE BANNER DROP, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS PATTERN TO PICK UP THE NEXT BANNER. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS LEFT TURN IN THE PATTERN, IT WAS SLOW ENOUGH TO NO LONGER BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN CONTROLLABLE FLIGHT. AT THIS POINT, THE LEFT WING DROPPED, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A TURN TOWARD THE SOUTH AND DECSENDED RAPIDLY. SCAR MARKINGS ON THE GROUND ARE CONSISTENT WITH LEFT WING TIP IMPACT, UNTIL THE IMPACT OF THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT FINISHED ITS ROTATION AND SKIDDED TO A STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF A TAXI WAY AND RUNWAY 18/36, WITH THE LEFT WING STILL HANGING OVER THE GRASS ON APPROXIMATELY A 030 HEADING.
PILOT CONTACT HAS BEEN INITIATED, HOWEVER, DUE TO INJURIES INTERVIEW HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED AS OF 8/8/2019.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.