What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was conducting banner tow operations under the provisions identified in letter of authorization J550 banner towing operations for simmons aviation services, LLC. The pilot conducted two flights on July 6, 2019. The pilot does not recall checking the weather prior to each flight. The first banner tow flight departed westerly state airport (wst) at approximately 1000 LCL, and the pilot flew south of westerly, RI toward groton, CT for approximately 3 hours. The pilot reported that he departed wst on his second flight around 1340 LCL to conduct banner tow operations along the beaches in newport, RI. At the completion of the pilot?s banner tow operations in newport, RI, the airman used pilotage to navigate the aircraft back to wst by flying southwest bound along state route 1. The pilot noticed the weather was deteriorating rapidly. The pilot then dropped the banner that was being towed along state route 1 and circled to find a safe landing spot. The pilot then executed an off airport powered landing onto shannon rd in South Kingstown, RI.
The aircraft came to rest on the private property at the corner of shannon rd and gooseberry rd in westerly, RI on a southern heading. The right main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest on the right wing. Scoring in the grass under the aircraft cowling indicates the engine was operating at the time of impact with both propeller tips curled back toward the fuselage.
The automated weather observation located at wst, approximately 13 nautical miles west of the incident location, reported that, about 7 minutes before the incident, the wind was from 210° at 12 knots gusting 18 knots, visibility of 8 statute miles, few clouds at 500 feet, temperature 27°c, dew point 24°c, and the altimeter setting of 29.83 inches of mercury.
The automated weather observation located at newport state airport (uuu), approximately 14 nautical miles northeast of the incident location, reported that, about 7 minutes before the incident, the wind was from 210° at 9 knots gusting 16 knots, visibility of 1 and ¾ statute miles, overcast cloud ceiling at 300 feet, temperature 27°c, dew point 24°c, and the altimeter setting of 29.83 inches of mercury. The cloud ceiling at the time of this report was variable 100 feet to 600 feet.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING BANNER TOW OPERATIONS UNDER THE PROVISIONS IDENTIFIED IN LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION J550 BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS FOR SIMMONS AVIATION SERVICES, LLC. THE PILOT CONDUCTED TWO FLIGHTS ON JULY 6, 2019. THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL CHECKING THE WEATHER PRIOR TO EACH FLIGHT. THE FIRST BANNER TOW FLIGHT DEPARTED WESTERLY STATE AIRPORT (WST) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 LCL, AND THE PILOT FLEW SOUTH OF WESTERLY, RI TOWARD GROTON, CT FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED WST ON HIS SECOND FLIGHT AROUND 1340 LCL TO CONDUCT BANNER TOW OPERATIONS ALONG THE BEACHES IN NEWPORT, RI. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PILOT?S BANNER TOW OPERATIONS IN NEWPORT, RI, THE AIRMAN USED PILOTAGE TO NAVIGATE THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO WST BY FLYING SOUTHWEST BOUND ALONG STATE ROUTE 1. THE PILOT NOTICED THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. THE PILOT THEN DROPPED THE BANNER THAT WAS BEING TOWED ALONG STATE ROUTE 1 AND CIRCLED TO FIND A SAFE LANDING SPOT. THE PILOT THEN EXECUTED AN OFF AIRPORT POWERED LANDING ONTO SHANNON RD IN SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF SHANNON RD AND GOOSEBERRY RD IN WESTERLY, RI ON A SOUTHERN HEADING. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT WING. SCORING IN THE GRASS UNDER THE AIRCRAFT COWLING INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WITH BOTH PROPELLER TIPS CURLED BACK TOWARD THE FUSELAGE.
THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION LOCATED AT WST, APPROXIMATELY 13 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF THE INCIDENT LOCATION, REPORTED THAT, ABOUT 7 MINUTES BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THE WIND WAS FROM 210° AT 12 KNOTS GUSTING 18 KNOTS, VISIBILITY OF 8 STATUTE MILES, FEW CLOUDS AT 500 FEET, TEMPERATURE 27°C, DEW POINT 24°C, AND THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.83 INCHES OF MERCURY.
THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION LOCATED AT NEWPORT STATE AIRPORT (UUU), APPROXIMATELY 14 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF THE INCIDENT LOCATION, REPORTED THAT, ABOUT 7 MINUTES BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THE WIND WAS FROM 210° AT 9 KNOTS GUSTING 16 KNOTS, VISIBILITY OF 1 AND ¾ STATUTE MILES, OVERCAST CLOUD CEILING AT 300 FEET, TEMPERATURE 27°C, DEW POINT 24°C, AND THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.83 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE CLOUD CEILING AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT WAS VARIABLE 100 FEET TO 600 FEET.