What happened
The pilot was conducting a solo banner tow operation over Madeira and Pass-A-Grille Beach, flying north and south before turning east in a climbing turn at 1,000 feet MSL. During this climb, the pilot reported that an engine oil leak began spraying oil onto the windshield. The pilot's intention was to drop the current banner and pick up another for display over Vinoy Park, but he decided to terminate the flight immediately to investigate the leak.
After dropping the banner, the pilot entered a right traffic pattern to land on runway 3<0xA0>6. During the turn and acceleration, the pilot stated the oil leak increased in intensity, significantly reducing forward visibility. As the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, the pilot reported having almost no vision ahead, focusing entirely on landing the aircraft safely. The pilot expressed concern that the leaking oil could potentially ignite.
Upon landing, the aircraft experienced a ground loop. A witness observing from near the runway noted that as all three wheels were on the ground, the engine power increased. The witness observed the aircraft losing control, with the wings hitting the ground multiple times while the aircraft moved side to side. The aircraft then spun 180 degrees in the air before striking the ground. The pilot exited the aircraft not injured.
The investigation
An FAA inspector conducted an initial examination of the aircraft and found no evidence of an oil leak. Furthermore, color photographs taken by the airport manager following the accident did not show any signs of oil leakage on the windshield or elsewhere. While the pilot reported a loss of left rudder after the event, and later informed the owner of a loss of right rudder, a witness did not observe any abnormalities with the flight control surfaces during the accident.
Findings
- The pilot was performing his first solo banner tow flight.
- The pilot did not follow established training and set procedures during the solo flight.
- The pilot did not declare an emergency or notify the tower of any mechanical issues when cleared to land.