NO.ANDOVER, MA, USA
N769WM
BOEING STEARMAN 75
THREE BANNERS WERE LAID OUT FOR PICKUP BY TWO STEARMAN AIRCRAFT. ONE BANNER WAS AN EXTRA. THE TWO STEARMANS APPROACHED THE BANNER PICK UP POINT AS A FLIGHT OF TWO. AS THE FIRST AIRCRAFT MADE ITS PICKUP AN EXTRA BANNER BECAME TANGLED WITH THE DESIGNATED PICKUP BANNER AND TWO BANNERS WERE CARRIED INTO THE AIR. AS THE SECOND AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE PICKUP POINT THE EXTRA BANNER FELL FREE, HOWEVER THE SECOND PILOT DID NOT SEE THE FREE FALLING BANNER DUE TO REDUCED FORWARD VISIBILITY CAUSED BY THE UPPER WING. AS THE SECOND AIRCRAFT MADE HER PICKUP AND STARTED HER INTIAL CLIMB, THE FREE FALLING BANNER MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER LEFT WING. THE PILOT STATED THE LEFT WING STALLED AND THE AIRCRAFT STALLED ON TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE UPPER WING FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND WAS LEAKING. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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