What happened
The pilot reported that the ground crew had accidentally added forty extra letters to the banner being towed, which necessitated using a higher cruise power setting for the flight. During the mission, company dispatch instructed the pilot to attempt to overtake another company aircraft to get that pilot's attention. This maneuver required an additional 20 minutes of flight time while maintaining a higher power setting.
Upon returning to the airport to perform the banner drop, the pilot applied power during the maneuver. At that moment, the engine stopped operating. The aircraft subsequently underwent a hard landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe.
The investigation
A postaccident examination of the aircraft was conducted. Investigators determined that the fuel within the fuel tank had been depleted.