ERA10LA101

While returning from a 50-minute banner towing flight, the airplane's engine began losing power. The pilot determined that the airplane would be unable to reach the destination airport and elected to perform a forced landing to a golf course. He decided not to detach the banner the airplane was towing, partly out of concern for persons and property on the ground, and partly so that it could act as a drag device during the subsequent off-airport landing. During the landing, when the pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid several golfers standing in the airplane's path during rollout, the right wing struck a tree resulting in substantial damage. A brief postaccident test run of the engine showed no evidence of any mechanical abnormalities. Temperature and dewpoint conditions at the time of the accident were favorable to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power settings.

On December 24, 2009, about 1250 eastern standard time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, N8634V, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near St. Petersburg, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local banner-tow flight, which originated at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida, about 1200. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a written statement submitted by the pilot, about 50 minutes into the flight, he was returning to SPG from the southwest. The airplane's engine "missed a few beats," so the pilot climbed the airplane to 1,000 feet, while the engine's performance continued to deteriorate. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem by adjusting the mixture control, testing the magnetos, and applying carburetor heat, all to no avail. About 6 miles from the destination, the pilot determined that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport, with or without the banner in-tow. The pilot then decided not to drop the banner, in order to avoid injuries to persons and property on the ground, and so that it could act as a drag device during the subsequent off-airport landing. The pilot selected a golf course fairway and successfully landed the airplane. During the rollout, several golfers were standing on a tee in the airplane's path, but did not see the airplane coming toward them. The pilot deviated to the right, and the right wing subsequently contacted a tree resulting in substantial damage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane following the accident. A test run of the engine was conducted, and the engine was run for about 45 seconds with no anomalies noted. The inspector then removed the carburetor and checked for contamination of the screen and bowl with none noted. The inspector also confirmed the function of the carburetor float mechanism. The FAA inspector also examined the airplane's maintenance records and noted that the airplane was manufactured in 1975, and both the airframe and engine had accumulated 1,854 total hours of operation since that date. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 20, 2009. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. He reported approximately 3,800 total hours of flight experience, 3.3 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent second-class FAA medical certificate was issued on July 14, 2009. The weather reported at SPG, at 1253, included clear skies, 10 statute miles visibility, winds from 120 degrees at 15 knots, temperature 22 degrees Celsius (C), dewpoint 14 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury. According to FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, the temperature and dewpointabout the time of the accident were favorable for the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power.