On June 30, 1987, a Piper PA-18A-150 (registration N74815) operated by Phoenix Flight Signs,inc. was involved in an aviation accident near No.myrtle Beach, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to fly the airplane while attempting to deploy a banner tow line, resulting in a stall and spin. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
While maneuvering at 350 ft AGL for a banner pick-up, the airplane entered a spin and impacted trees and terrain. The pilot reported he failed to fly the airplane while deploying the tow line, causing a stall and spin.
Incident Overview
During a banner towing operation, a pilot was maneuvering the airplane at 350 feet above ground level in preparation for a banner pick-up. The aircraft entered a spin and subsequently struck trees and the terrain. The pilot reported that he "failed to fly the airplane" while attempting to deploy a banner tow line, which led to an aerodynamic stall and the onset of the spin.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that he was able to stop the spin but was unable to arrest the descent before the airplane impacted the trees and the terrain. The pilot had accumulated 38 hours of total banner-towing experience at the time of the incident. The operator of the airplane noted that this was to be the pilot's first banner tow with that particular operation.
Aircraft Damage
The impact with trees and terrain resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. No additional details regarding injuries or occupancy were provided in the source material.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to fly the airplane while attempting to deploy a banner tow line, resulting in a stall and spin.
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