Narrative:

On the morning of jul/xa/00, I arrived at the toledo metcalf airport (TDZ) with plans for a VFR flight to the griffith-merriville airport (05C) to tow an aerial advertising banner for 2 1/2 hours along the lake michigan shoreline. I began by getting a thorough WX briefing and checking the latest radar images and radar trends. After concluding that the day's flight could be completed with good VFR conditions, I accomplished a preflight inspection on the piper super cub (PA18) and fueled the aircraft. I then loaded the aircraft with the necessary equipment that I would need to tow the advertising banner after arriving at the 05C airport which included 2 fuel cans that contained 6 gallons each, to be used prior to departing with the banner. I departed toledo at approximately XA00Z and arrived at 05C at around XB50Z. I noted the flight as being uneventful with good solid VFR WX. After stretching for a few moments, I unloaded the aircraft and began setting up the banner adjacent to the north side of runway 8/26. I then emptied both fuel cans into the right fuel tank, as I only burned from this tank on the travel to 05C. I checked the sight gauges at that time noting that with the added fuel I had over 1/2 tank on the right, and still had a full tank on the left, as I had not yet switched to that side. This was a combined fuel load of at least 30 gallons. As I had been planning a maximum flight time of 2 1/2 hours, I believed that the 30 gallons of fuel, with a burn rate of not more than 10 gph, would leave me with adequate fuel to complete the flight, with the legal reserves. I was reluctant to put any more fuel on board the aircraft, because I was aware that the density altitude was increased due to the temperatures and high humidity. I departed 05C at approximately XC30Z and picked the banner up shortly thereafter. I waited until I was certain that the banner was flying properly, and had climbed to a safe cruise altitude prior to departing the area to the north. The flight was uneventful as I proceeded north along the shoreline as planned. I paid close attention to the flight time, fuel burn and ground speed. At the appropriate time, I returned south along the shoreline heading back to the 05C airport, with a planned landing that would leave more than 30 mins of fuel on board. As I was nearing the gyy class D airspace, I tuned to the ATIS and was unable to receive the WX information. At this time I had noticed that the WX conditions were deteriorating, and it was becoming apparent that there were storm cells to my south along my projected flight path. This came as a surprise, because the forecast was to be clear of storms in that area, and the afternoon haze had obscured the storms until I was within about 8 mi of the 05C airport. I contacted the gary tower and queried them about the WX conditions at the field. The controller advised me that the WX was extremely poor due to thunderstorms and rain. The controller also advised that the storm cells extended south and east for a good distance, therefore, closing the door to deviate east around the WX. I then tuned into the lansing, il, AWOS and noted the WX was low IFR. At that time I had been airborne for approximately 2 hours 20 mins, leaving me only 10 mins before I would be flying into my 30 min reserve fuel. I therefore made a turn back to the north, feeling that this was my best option, as I could only get a ground speed of approximately 50 KTS with the banner, and I was sure the WX was good to the north. I proceeded back along the shoreline contacting meigs tower, and explained that the WX unexpectedly deteriorated to the south and asked for permission to land. The controller said to stand by, and after a great deal of time had passed, I was only about 6 mi south of the meigs airport. The controller finally came back on and told me that I was not allowed to land there, as the tower manager would not approve this operation due to the limited space on the airport. I was reluctant to argue with the controller because the order had come from the tower manager. I immediately turned west and contacted midway asking for permission to land, explaining that the WX was deteriorating to the south, and was again denied access. At this point, I felt that I could waste nomore time and chose to head for the lewis university airport (lot). I knew that it would be very close on fuel, so I switched to the right tank. After a few mins, the engine quit. I then immediately switched the fuel back to the left tank, where there was slightly less than 1/4 tank of fuel. The engine started, but ran very rough not developing enough power again. My altitude was at approximately 1800 ft MSL, and I had a golf course ahead of me that provided for a safe landing field. So I then pulled full flaps and made a rapid descent using the banner as added drag, and made a slight turn to align myself with a fairway that was clear of obstructions and people on the ground. I left the banner attached until I was sure that I was going to make a landing without overshooting the fairway. Just prior to touchdown, I released the banner and landed. However, the aircraft crossed a shallow ditch that bounced the aircraft back into the air, prolonging the landing rollout. As I was braking heavily due to the prolonged landing rollout from the ditch, the ground was sloping up. These 2 factors combined, caused the aircraft to tip forward onto its nose as it came to a stop causing repairable damage to the propeller and minimal damage to the lower cowling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA18 RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING BANNER TOWING RESULTING IN AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WHICH DAMAGED THE PROP AND ENG COWLING.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUL/XA/00, I ARRIVED AT THE TOLEDO METCALF ARPT (TDZ) WITH PLANS FOR A VFR FLT TO THE GRIFFITH-MERRIVILLE ARPT (05C) TO TOW AN AERIAL ADVERTISING BANNER FOR 2 1/2 HRS ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE. I BEGAN BY GETTING A THOROUGH WX BRIEFING AND CHKING THE LATEST RADAR IMAGES AND RADAR TRENDS. AFTER CONCLUDING THAT THE DAY'S FLT COULD BE COMPLETED WITH GOOD VFR CONDITIONS, I ACCOMPLISHED A PREFLT INSPECTION ON THE PIPER SUPER CUB (PA18) AND FUELED THE ACFT. I THEN LOADED THE ACFT WITH THE NECESSARY EQUIP THAT I WOULD NEED TO TOW THE ADVERTISING BANNER AFTER ARRIVING AT THE 05C ARPT WHICH INCLUDED 2 FUEL CANS THAT CONTAINED 6 GALLONS EACH, TO BE USED PRIOR TO DEPARTING WITH THE BANNER. I DEPARTED TOLEDO AT APPROX XA00Z AND ARRIVED AT 05C AT AROUND XB50Z. I NOTED THE FLT AS BEING UNEVENTFUL WITH GOOD SOLID VFR WX. AFTER STRETCHING FOR A FEW MOMENTS, I UNLOADED THE ACFT AND BEGAN SETTING UP THE BANNER ADJACENT TO THE N SIDE OF RWY 8/26. I THEN EMPTIED BOTH FUEL CANS INTO THE R FUEL TANK, AS I ONLY BURNED FROM THIS TANK ON THE TRAVEL TO 05C. I CHKED THE SIGHT GAUGES AT THAT TIME NOTING THAT WITH THE ADDED FUEL I HAD OVER 1/2 TANK ON THE R, AND STILL HAD A FULL TANK ON THE L, AS I HAD NOT YET SWITCHED TO THAT SIDE. THIS WAS A COMBINED FUEL LOAD OF AT LEAST 30 GALLONS. AS I HAD BEEN PLANNING A MAX FLT TIME OF 2 1/2 HRS, I BELIEVED THAT THE 30 GALLONS OF FUEL, WITH A BURN RATE OF NOT MORE THAN 10 GPH, WOULD LEAVE ME WITH ADEQUATE FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT, WITH THE LEGAL RESERVES. I WAS RELUCTANT TO PUT ANY MORE FUEL ON BOARD THE ACFT, BECAUSE I WAS AWARE THAT THE DENSITY ALT WAS INCREASED DUE TO THE TEMPS AND HIGH HUMIDITY. I DEPARTED 05C AT APPROX XC30Z AND PICKED THE BANNER UP SHORTLY THEREAFTER. I WAITED UNTIL I WAS CERTAIN THAT THE BANNER WAS FLYING PROPERLY, AND HAD CLBED TO A SAFE CRUISE ALT PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE AREA TO THE N. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AS I PROCEEDED N ALONG THE SHORELINE AS PLANNED. I PAID CLOSE ATTN TO THE FLT TIME, FUEL BURN AND GND SPD. AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, I RETURNED S ALONG THE SHORELINE HDG BACK TO THE 05C ARPT, WITH A PLANNED LNDG THAT WOULD LEAVE MORE THAN 30 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD. AS I WAS NEARING THE GYY CLASS D AIRSPACE, I TUNED TO THE ATIS AND WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE WX INFO. AT THIS TIME I HAD NOTICED THAT THE WX CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING, AND IT WAS BECOMING APPARENT THAT THERE WERE STORM CELLS TO MY S ALONG MY PROJECTED FLT PATH. THIS CAME AS A SURPRISE, BECAUSE THE FORECAST WAS TO BE CLR OF STORMS IN THAT AREA, AND THE AFTERNOON HAZE HAD OBSCURED THE STORMS UNTIL I WAS WITHIN ABOUT 8 MI OF THE 05C ARPT. I CONTACTED THE GARY TWR AND QUERIED THEM ABOUT THE WX CONDITIONS AT THE FIELD. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT THE WX WAS EXTREMELY POOR DUE TO TSTMS AND RAIN. THE CTLR ALSO ADVISED THAT THE STORM CELLS EXTENDED S AND E FOR A GOOD DISTANCE, THEREFORE, CLOSING THE DOOR TO DEVIATE E AROUND THE WX. I THEN TUNED INTO THE LANSING, IL, AWOS AND NOTED THE WX WAS LOW IFR. AT THAT TIME I HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROX 2 HRS 20 MINS, LEAVING ME ONLY 10 MINS BEFORE I WOULD BE FLYING INTO MY 30 MIN RESERVE FUEL. I THEREFORE MADE A TURN BACK TO THE N, FEELING THAT THIS WAS MY BEST OPTION, AS I COULD ONLY GET A GND SPD OF APPROX 50 KTS WITH THE BANNER, AND I WAS SURE THE WX WAS GOOD TO THE N. I PROCEEDED BACK ALONG THE SHORELINE CONTACTING MEIGS TWR, AND EXPLAINED THAT THE WX UNEXPECTEDLY DETERIORATED TO THE S AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO LAND. THE CTLR SAID TO STAND BY, AND AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF TIME HAD PASSED, I WAS ONLY ABOUT 6 MI S OF THE MEIGS ARPT. THE CTLR FINALLY CAME BACK ON AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LAND THERE, AS THE TWR MGR WOULD NOT APPROVE THIS OP DUE TO THE LIMITED SPACE ON THE ARPT. I WAS RELUCTANT TO ARGUE WITH THE CTLR BECAUSE THE ORDER HAD COME FROM THE TWR MGR. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W AND CONTACTED MIDWAY ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO LAND, EXPLAINING THAT THE WX WAS DETERIORATING TO THE S, AND WAS AGAIN DENIED ACCESS. AT THIS POINT, I FELT THAT I COULD WASTE NOMORE TIME AND CHOSE TO HEAD FOR THE LEWIS UNIVERSITY ARPT (LOT). I KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE VERY CLOSE ON FUEL, SO I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK. AFTER A FEW MINS, THE ENG QUIT. I THEN IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED THE FUEL BACK TO THE L TANK, WHERE THERE WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF FUEL. THE ENG STARTED, BUT RAN VERY ROUGH NOT DEVELOPING ENOUGH PWR AGAIN. MY ALT WAS AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL, AND I HAD A GOLF COURSE AHEAD OF ME THAT PROVIDED FOR A SAFE LNDG FIELD. SO I THEN PULLED FULL FLAPS AND MADE A RAPID DSCNT USING THE BANNER AS ADDED DRAG, AND MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO ALIGN MYSELF WITH A FAIRWAY THAT WAS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND PEOPLE ON THE GND. I LEFT THE BANNER ATTACHED UNTIL I WAS SURE THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE A LNDG WITHOUT OVERSHOOTING THE FAIRWAY. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, I RELEASED THE BANNER AND LANDED. HOWEVER, THE ACFT CROSSED A SHALLOW DITCH THAT BOUNCED THE ACFT BACK INTO THE AIR, PROLONGING THE LNDG ROLLOUT. AS I WAS BRAKING HEAVILY DUE TO THE PROLONGED LNDG ROLLOUT FROM THE DITCH, THE GND WAS SLOPING UP. THESE 2 FACTORS COMBINED, CAUSED THE ACFT TO TIP FORWARD ONTO ITS NOSE AS IT CAME TO A STOP CAUSING REPAIRABLE DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER COWLING.

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.