Aircraft lost power on crosswind after dropping banner, tried to turn around, hit perimeter fence

A Piper PA-18 Super Cub registered to Aerial Sign of Puerto Rico crashed Sunday afternoon at San Juan's (PR) Isla Grande Airport (Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci, TJIG) just a few moments after completing a banner drop and initiating a climb.

The pilot was identified locally by The San Juan Star as Marcelo Runikcs, 42. He has been operating the aircraft on the island for five years and has become a well known, regular fixture in the skies with his colorful banners.

Runicks received minor injuries and was taken to the a local diagnostic and care center in Santurce, located a couple of minutes away from the airport. The aircraft, however, was declared a total loss, with subtantial damage to the wings, cockpit, fuselage and a collapsed landing gear.

According to the FAA preliminary report, the aircraft had just dropped a banner and was initiating a climb to crosswind when the engine failed. The pilot immediately turned right to come back to runway 27, but did not make it and hit the perimeter fence. the Ports Authority of Puerto Rico reported that there was minor damage to the airport facilities, and the airport soon reopened with no impact to any of the regular flights scheduled in and out of the busy downtown reliever for SJU International Airport.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 5546Z        Make/Model: PA18      Description: PA-18 Super Cub (L-18C, L-21, U-7)
  Date: 09/12/2004     Time: 1809

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SAN JUAN                    State:      Country: PR

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT COMPLETED A BANNER DROP ON THE NORTH NON MOVEMENT AREA AND STARTED
  CLIMBING FOR THE LEFT CROSSWIND. ACFT APPEARED TO EXPERIENCE A POWER
  FAILURE IN THE LEFT CROSSWIND AND MADE A RIGHT TURN BACK FOR LANDING. ACFT
  TOUCHED DOWN ON APPROACH END OF RWY 27 AND HIT THE ARPT PERIMETER FENCE.
  MINOR INJURY AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IS REPORTED. SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: VFR                                                                        
                                                                                    
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Landing      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: TJIG                        Dep Date: 09/12/2004   Dep. Time: 1700
  Destination: TJIG                     Flt Plan: VFR          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: 1809Z
  Last Clearance: CLRD TO LND

  FAA FSDO: SAN JUAN, PR  (SO21)                  Entry date: 09/13/2004

FMI: www.aerialsign.com