The pilot of a banner-towing aircraft in California had the narrowest of narrow escapes the other day.
On the busy holiday weekend with many heading to the beach, the plane was one of the many advertisement banner-towing aircraft flying in the area.
According to preliminary reports from investigators, the Bellanca Scout plane apparently had trouble gaining altitude as it lifted off from Long Beach Airport runway 25L at about 1:15 p.m. Fire and airport officials believe the right wing of the plane struck a power line and was sheered (sic) off, eventually landing in a lot adjacent to the airport.
The pilot, described only as man about 45 years old, was able to jettison the banner, which landed next to the JSC industrial building near Walnut Avenue, before hitting the freeway embankment.
There’s more at the link.
That’s Interstate 405 you’re looking at – the busiest and most congested freeway in the USA! Despite having lost a wing, the plane missed all the traffic on the twelve-lane highway, plonking down on the verge where you see it. The pilot walked away unhurt!
Talk about lucky . . .
Peter
God was his co pilot that day.
Can't imagine the flaps helped his asymmetric lift problem any…
I've never towed a banner, but I have a friend who used to; he told me that the procedure is to lay the banner out backwards with the leading end suspended between two poles, take off clean, then snare the banner in a fly-by, lifting it off the ground. I wonder, then, about this story, which suggests that he was taking off with the banner attached. Can any banner pilots weigh in?
Miss D., do you have any insight? It's been years since I've had any stick time.
Reminded me of this little piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYO4lZkLfFk
Dave,
I'm only familiar with taking off, then coming back and snagging the banner, myself. Usually with ground helpers, and all the problems inherent with flying low and slow on the back side of the power curve, and then suddenly adding a yank backward followed by a massive drag surface attached to the plane.
Usually banner towers get in trouble with being too low and too slow, not compensating for drag… or the same stall-spin from watching the ground instead of flying the plane that gets sightseers everywhere.
I don't know enough about this one to give a specific comment on this case. And the reporter ain't helping.
That A/C seems awful light and lacking in power to pull a banner, especially in the current hot conditions in CA.
Geoff
Who hangs around military pilots who have trouble understanding the lack of specific excess power in light aircraft.