Narrative:

I reported to cpm airport for my second day of banner tow training. I sat in the right seat and was given the duties of watching for traffic and learning the general operations and routing of the banner flts. The instructor and I flew the routing for approximately 2 hours when the instructor noticed that the airplane had much less fuel than had been planned for. At this moment, the instructor decided to fly to the nearest airport, ZZZ, where he proceeded to inform the tower of the low fuel situation. He did not declare an emergency, however, he informed them of the critical amount of fuel on board the airplane. He said that there was approximately between 5 and 15 mins of fuel remaining. We were cleared to land and given permission to drop the banner on short final, on the grass located just north of the landing runway. The instructor released the banner too early and a portion of it landed on the freeway off ramp just north of the grass field, which was intended for banner drop. The banner was picked up by airport personnel, without hazard to any persons or property. The landing was made successfully on runway and we were instructed to turn left off the runway and contact ground control. The airplane was slowed down straight ahead on the runway and the instructor made the available left turn. Upon bringing the airplane to a stop on the taxiway, the instructor informed me that his right brake had failed, and he asked me for assistance. There are no brakes located in my seat, the right seat, of this airplane (stinson 108). My attempt to help in stopping the continuing left turn was futile. The instructor then pulled the mixture control, bringing the propeller and the engine to a stop, when an aircraft tire ran over and broke a taxiway light. The airplane was rolling at approximately 5 mph at this time and came to a stop shortly after. There was no damage to the airplane, nor any harm done to the instructor or I. The instructor performed the preflight. However, as a pilot with the general knowledge of small piston pwred airplanes, I did assure that the airplane was full of fuel and had adequate oil by visually inspecting each of those items prior to getting in the airplane. I was not PIC during this flight, and did not perform the preflight action. I did observe the instructor PIC check both brakes during taxi to the run-up area, and again after run-up. There appeared to be pressure and adequate braking. Where this incident could and should have been resolved was during a preflight briefing in which a discussion occurred between the owner/operator and the instructor (PIC), on the specific performance and fuel burn of this aircraft as it related to banner towing. Supplemental information from 619544: the aircraft was filled with 40 gals of fuel. Right after takeoff, I looked at my watch and noticed there was about 35 mins discrepancy, between the aircraft clock and the watch. The aircraft clock was slow. I adjusted it, but did not change the time in my notes. I was planning conservatively for 13 gph. Later, records would show a burn of 11.4 gph. My goal was to be back with 30 mins of fuel on board. I estimated 3 hours and 4 mins of fuel at 13 gph. I determined to be back 2 1/2 hours after engine start. I made another fuel burn estimate, but incorrectly used the time that I had put in my notes before I noticed the time discrepancy. Something didn't seem right, but I decided to divert to ZZZ immediately and sort out the problem on the ground. I estimate that I released about 3 seconds too early because part of the banner landed on an access ramp to the freeway. Before turning onto the taxiway and the right brake went all the way to the floor. The aircraft turned left and I pulled the mixture to stop the engine. The aircraft rolled about 10-15 ft more, struck a taxiway light and stopped. I had never dropped a banner at ZZZ, before and I think now that, the factors were: unfamiliar drop zone, a very large banner which acted somewhat like a sail, and this was my 1ST flight since vacation with about 6 weeks inbtwn flts. Normally, I have a ground crew to advise when the banner is in ideal position. Also, not changing the time in my notes definitely caused confusion andan unnecessary diversion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER DIVERTING FOR A POSSIBLE FUEL SHORTAGE SIT AND DROPPING ITS BANNER TOO SOON, A LNDG, TAXIING, STINSON LOSES ITS R BRAKE AND A TXWY LIGHT DURING THE RESULTING TXWY EXCURSION AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: I RPTED TO CPM ARPT FOR MY SECOND DAY OF BANNER TOW TRAINING. I SAT IN THE R SEAT AND WAS GIVEN THE DUTIES OF WATCHING FOR TFC AND LEARNING THE GENERAL OPS AND ROUTING OF THE BANNER FLTS. THE INSTRUCTOR AND I FLEW THE ROUTING FOR APPROX 2 HRS WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD MUCH LESS FUEL THAN HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR. AT THIS MOMENT, THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO FLY TO THE NEAREST ARPT, ZZZ, WHERE HE PROCEEDED TO INFORM THE TWR OF THE LOW FUEL SIT. HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, HOWEVER, HE INFORMED THEM OF THE CRITICAL AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS APPROX BTWN 5 AND 15 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND GIVEN PERMISSION TO DROP THE BANNER ON SHORT FINAL, ON THE GRASS LOCATED JUST N OF THE LNDG RWY. THE INSTRUCTOR RELEASED THE BANNER TOO EARLY AND A PORTION OF IT LANDED ON THE FREEWAY OFF RAMP JUST N OF THE GRASS FIELD, WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR BANNER DROP. THE BANNER WAS PICKED UP BY ARPT PERSONNEL, WITHOUT HAZARD TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY. THE LNDG WAS MADE SUCCESSFULLY ON RWY AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L OFF THE RWY AND CONTACT GND CTL. THE AIRPLANE WAS SLOWED DOWN STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE RWY AND THE INSTRUCTOR MADE THE AVAILABLE L TURN. UPON BRINGING THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP ON THE TXWY, THE INSTRUCTOR INFORMED ME THAT HIS R BRAKE HAD FAILED, AND HE ASKED ME FOR ASSISTANCE. THERE ARE NO BRAKES LOCATED IN MY SEAT, THE R SEAT, OF THIS AIRPLANE (STINSON 108). MY ATTEMPT TO HELP IN STOPPING THE CONTINUING L TURN WAS FUTILE. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN PULLED THE MIXTURE CTL, BRINGING THE PROP AND THE ENG TO A STOP, WHEN AN ACFT TIRE RAN OVER AND BROKE A TXWY LIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS ROLLING AT APPROX 5 MPH AT THIS TIME AND CAME TO A STOP SHORTLY AFTER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE, NOR ANY HARM DONE TO THE INSTRUCTOR OR I. THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED THE PREFLT. HOWEVER, AS A PLT WITH THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF SMALL PISTON PWRED AIRPLANES, I DID ASSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FULL OF FUEL AND HAD ADEQUATE OIL BY VISUALLY INSPECTING EACH OF THOSE ITEMS PRIOR TO GETTING IN THE AIRPLANE. I WAS NOT PIC DURING THIS FLT, AND DID NOT PERFORM THE PREFLT ACTION. I DID OBSERVE THE INSTRUCTOR PIC CHK BOTH BRAKES DURING TAXI TO THE RUN-UP AREA, AND AGAIN AFTER RUN-UP. THERE APPEARED TO BE PRESSURE AND ADEQUATE BRAKING. WHERE THIS INCIDENT COULD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED WAS DURING A PREFLT BRIEFING IN WHICH A DISCUSSION OCCURRED BTWN THE OWNER/OPERATOR AND THE INSTRUCTOR (PIC), ON THE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE AND FUEL BURN OF THIS ACFT AS IT RELATED TO BANNER TOWING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM 619544: THE ACFT WAS FILLED WITH 40 GALS OF FUEL. RIGHT AFTER TKOF, I LOOKED AT MY WATCH AND NOTICED THERE WAS ABOUT 35 MINS DISCREPANCY, BTWN THE ACFT CLOCK AND THE WATCH. THE ACFT CLOCK WAS SLOW. I ADJUSTED IT, BUT DID NOT CHANGE THE TIME IN MY NOTES. I WAS PLANNING CONSERVATIVELY FOR 13 GPH. LATER, RECORDS WOULD SHOW A BURN OF 11.4 GPH. MY GOAL WAS TO BE BACK WITH 30 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I ESTIMATED 3 HRS AND 4 MINS OF FUEL AT 13 GPH. I DETERMINED TO BE BACK 2 1/2 HRS AFTER ENG START. I MADE ANOTHER FUEL BURN ESTIMATE, BUT INCORRECTLY USED THE TIME THAT I HAD PUT IN MY NOTES BEFORE I NOTICED THE TIME DISCREPANCY. SOMETHING DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT, BUT I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ IMMEDIATELY AND SORT OUT THE PROB ON THE GND. I ESTIMATE THAT I RELEASED ABOUT 3 SECONDS TOO EARLY BECAUSE PART OF THE BANNER LANDED ON AN ACCESS RAMP TO THE FREEWAY. BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE TXWY AND THE R BRAKE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE ACFT TURNED L AND I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO STOP THE ENG. THE ACFT ROLLED ABOUT 10-15 FT MORE, STRUCK A TXWY LIGHT AND STOPPED. I HAD NEVER DROPPED A BANNER AT ZZZ, BEFORE AND I THINK NOW THAT, THE FACTORS WERE: UNFAMILIAR DROP ZONE, A VERY LARGE BANNER WHICH ACTED SOMEWHAT LIKE A SAIL, AND THIS WAS MY 1ST FLT SINCE VACATION WITH ABOUT 6 WKS INBTWN FLTS. NORMALLY, I HAVE A GND CREW TO ADVISE WHEN THE BANNER IS IN IDEAL POS. ALSO, NOT CHANGING THE TIME IN MY NOTES DEFINITELY CAUSED CONFUSION ANDAN UNNECESSARY DIVERSION.

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.