Accident Details
On the day of the accident, a pilot flying a Champion 7GCBC (Citabria) departed to pick up a banner. During the first attempted pickup, the pilot missed the banner. He then maneuvered the airplane for a second pickup attempt.
At approximately the time of the second pickup, a pilot of another airplane had just turned from crosswind to downwind. This pilot reported that he observed the Citabria impact the ground in a nose-down, right-wing-low attitude.
Aircraft Condition
After the impact, the airplane was found with the tow rope still attached, but the banner had not been moved from its original position. The fuselage was crushed, and both wings were bent downward such that both wing tips touched the ground.
Fuel was present in the fuel tanks and in a fuel line leading to the engine. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction of the airplane was discovered.
Pilot Background
The pilot of the Citrus had recently qualified as a banner tow pilot. Since becoming qualified, he had completed 12 banner pickups. His total flight time was 445 hours.