Narrative:

I had been banner towing in a super cub and had just dropped the banner from approximately 50 ft on a heading of 030 degrees. I intended turning to land on runway 25, slightly downwind. Winds had been squirrely all day, but not strong. During my turn back to land, at approximately 50 ft, the wind was apparently a quartering tailwind from about 100 degrees, causing me to swing wide of the centerline. I surmise that because of my low airspeed and altitude, I resisted increasing my bank (already 30-45 degrees), but unthinkingly fed in too much rudder in an attempt to hold the centerline, and got too far out of whack. The surprise is the controls never went soft (other than is normal when flying at 35- 40 mph). The blessing is I was too low for a spin to develop. I wish I could figure someone to blame, but the fact is, I simply blew it. There is a lesson to be learned. I have an after market inertial shoulder harness installed on a xmember above and behind the pilot seat. The thing is so comfortable that you soon forget it's there. I never really trusted it, because it reels so easily and has no resistance when it unreels. Yet, when I hit, I don't remember noticing any great impact force. Yet, when I got out of the airplane, I realized I had hit so hard, the impact had knocked my glasses off. (The kind with loops around the ears.) I'm now a firm believer in shoulder harnesses. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft had a bent wing and the gear was jammed up into the fuselage. It is being repaired. Since this incident happened reporter has heard from several other experienced pilots who have incidents. He feels one gets the feeling he can do anything with the airplane and fails to take heed of some very basic aerodynamic facts. Expensive lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOWING ACFT STALLS DURING TURN TO LAND AFTER RELEASING BANNER.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN BANNER TOWING IN A SUPER CUB AND HAD JUST DROPPED THE BANNER FROM APPROX 50 FT ON A HDG OF 030 DEGS. I INTENDED TURNING TO LAND ON RWY 25, SLIGHTLY DOWNWIND. WINDS HAD BEEN SQUIRRELY ALL DAY, BUT NOT STRONG. DURING MY TURN BACK TO LAND, AT APPROX 50 FT, THE WIND WAS APPARENTLY A QUARTERING TAILWIND FROM ABOUT 100 DEGS, CAUSING ME TO SWING WIDE OF THE CTRLINE. I SURMISE THAT BECAUSE OF MY LOW AIRSPD AND ALT, I RESISTED INCREASING MY BANK (ALREADY 30-45 DEGS), BUT UNTHINKINGLY FED IN TOO MUCH RUDDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO HOLD THE CTRLINE, AND GOT TOO FAR OUT OF WHACK. THE SURPRISE IS THE CTLS NEVER WENT SOFT (OTHER THAN IS NORMAL WHEN FLYING AT 35- 40 MPH). THE BLESSING IS I WAS TOO LOW FOR A SPIN TO DEVELOP. I WISH I COULD FIGURE SOMEONE TO BLAME, BUT THE FACT IS, I SIMPLY BLEW IT. THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED. I HAVE AN AFTER MARKET INERTIAL SHOULDER HARNESS INSTALLED ON A XMEMBER ABOVE AND BEHIND THE PLT SEAT. THE THING IS SO COMFORTABLE THAT YOU SOON FORGET IT'S THERE. I NEVER REALLY TRUSTED IT, BECAUSE IT REELS SO EASILY AND HAS NO RESISTANCE WHEN IT UNREELS. YET, WHEN I HIT, I DON'T REMEMBER NOTICING ANY GREAT IMPACT FORCE. YET, WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, I REALIZED I HAD HIT SO HARD, THE IMPACT HAD KNOCKED MY GLASSES OFF. (THE KIND WITH LOOPS AROUND THE EARS.) I'M NOW A FIRM BELIEVER IN SHOULDER HARNESSES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT HAD A BENT WING AND THE GEAR WAS JAMMED UP INTO THE FUSELAGE. IT IS BEING REPAIRED. SINCE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED RPTR HAS HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER EXPERIENCED PLTS WHO HAVE INCIDENTS. HE FEELS ONE GETS THE FEELING HE CAN DO ANYTHING WITH THE AIRPLANE AND FAILS TO TAKE HEED OF SOME VERY BASIC AERODYNAMIC FACTS. EXPENSIVE LESSON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.