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A PA-25 aerial billboard pilot reported his release lever failed to work; and the extra drag of the billboard caused a hard landing that resulted in damage to the landing gear and prop.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 895842 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201006 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | PA-25 Pawnee |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Landing |
| Route In Use | None |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Commercial |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 90 Flight Crew Total 3400 Flight Crew Type 700 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft |
Narrative:
On the approach to release my aerial billboard in the drop zone it failed to release when I pulled the release lever. I continued to attempt the release. The sign contacted the ground; the extra drag would not allow me go around. In turn it forced me into a unexpected landing. With short distance and extra drag caused by the aerial sign I landed very hard; causing the left main gear to fail and resulting in a prop strike. Nobody was injured. No airport property damaged. Aircraft received minor damage. I learned that all aerial sign drops should be made at an altitude that would never allow the sign to make contact with the ground; that way in a failed attempt to release I would be able to fly away and attempt another release and if that was to fail.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA-25 aerial billboard pilot reported his release lever failed to work; and the extra drag of the billboard caused a hard landing that resulted in damage to the landing gear and prop.
Narrative: On the approach to release my aerial billboard in the drop zone it failed to release when I pulled the release lever. I continued to attempt the release. The sign contacted the ground; the extra drag would not allow me go around. In turn it forced me into a unexpected landing. With short distance and extra drag caused by the aerial sign I landed very hard; causing the left main gear to fail and resulting in a prop strike. Nobody was injured. No airport property damaged. Aircraft received minor damage. I learned that all aerial sign drops should be made at an altitude that would never allow the sign to make contact with the ground; that way in a failed attempt to release I would be able to fly away and attempt another release and if that was to fail.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.