History of Flight
On June 26, 2010, at about 1700 mountain daylight time, an Aero Commander CallAir A-9B, registration N7700V, operated by Aerial Ads LLC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of control in flight at South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Salt Lake City, Utah. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The banner towing flight originated from Salt Lake City International Airport approximately 20 minutes before the accident under visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot was late for a scheduled 1600 banner towing mission. During preflight, he found no fuel at U42 and flew 10 nautical miles to Salt Lake City International Airport, purchasing 46.5 gallons of fuel for a total of about 82 gallons.
Upon return, the pilot released the airplane’s grappling hook, attached to a 20-foot line on the tow hook. The banner was 280 feet long and 30 feet high, with a bridle of five lines tied to a "D" ring and a 300-foot tow line. The ground crewmember described the pickup procedure: fly into wind about 20 feet above ground at 100 mph. The wind was from 350 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
The company manager explained that the pilot initiates the pickup by pitching up 25 to 50 feet before the tow line suspended from two 12-foot poles. After snagging, the pilot climbs to about 300 feet and levels off. The weight of the banner transfers to the tail wheel area, causing a nose-up pitch. The pilot must push forward on the stick and add 10 to 24 degrees of flaps, maintaining 65 to 70 mph. The airplane stalls at 55 mph with full flaps.
The ground crewmember observed the pilot miss two pickup attempts; the third succeeded. The airplane "zoomed" up just before snagging, reaching about 200 feet with the banner at 50 feet. The airplane then made a standard left crosswind turn to the west for a traffic pattern leg and noise abatement over a residential subdivision. The crewmember thought the airplane looked sluggish and radioed that airspeed looked slow. The westbound airplane released the banner, then its nose and left wing dropped. It impacted the ground in a nearly vertical attitude; a postimpact fire consumed the aircraft.
Personnel Information
The 38-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multiengine land and instrument ratings. His most recent first-class FAA medical certificate was issued on January 4, 2010. His employer estimated about 1,100 hours of flight experience. The last flight review was on February 28, 2010.
The pilot began with the banner towing company in March 2010, initially training in a Husky A-1. He transitioned to the accident airplane for its larger engine in warmer weather, with about 10 hours in type at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, tail wheel, propeller-driven, single-seat airplane was manufactured by Aero Commander in 1969. Maximum gross takeoff weight was 3,000 pounds. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-G1C5 engine rated at 300 horsepower. The last annual inspection was on April 30, 2010. The airframe had 4,601 hours.
A modification included an additional 44-gallon fuel tank in the nose hopper. Fuel consumption was 12 to 16 gallons per hour.
Meteorological Information
At 1700, conditions at the accident site: wind 350 degrees at 10 knots gusting 16 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear of clouds; temperature 82°F; dew point 43°F; altimeter 30.04 inHg. Density altitude was 7,121 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest inside the airport perimeter, upright on a magnetic heading of about 315 degrees on flat, grass-covered terrain. The propeller was separated from the engine and buried; both blades had chordwise scoring with leading edge polishing and gouging.
The airplane and engine were about 10 feet behind the propeller. Both wings were swept forward about 10 inches at tips, with 6 to 10 feet of outboard fabric remaining. The rest of the airplane had extensive thermal damage. The manual flap lever was at three notches (24 degrees).
Postaccident engine examination on July 29, 2010, found minor thermal damage. All six cylinders were attached. Rotational continuity was established, and thumb compression and suction were obtained on all cylinders. Spark plugs showed normal wear. No preimpact mechanical anomalies that would preclude normal operation were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was conducted on June 27, 2010, by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. FAA's CAMI performed toxicology tests; blood tests for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and drugs were negative, and vitreous fluid tests for volatiles were negative.