What was the temperature and dewpoint?

Slow loss of power while the engine sounds fine.... that sounds a lot like intake/carb icing, and that, post crash, would show no signs of problems. Assuming the engine was still intact, it would even start right up. Why would an experienced pilot allow intake icing? Perhaps he didn't: perhaps the intake/carb heat valve came loose from the cable and slowly closed.

I am not in any way suggesting that is the cause, but, depending on the conditions, could be a plausible explanation for the engine's behavior.

Let those far more wise than us figure it out, and give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

I don't see why he would intentionally crash into the house since he didn't even know the owners (it had changed hands several times). I've lived in eleven places within a ten mile radius over the years.

I'm not "stringing anybody up" (I'm not really Deb, she is just my avatar. )

However, if I lose my single engine I'll be sure to not roll inverted, more or less into my old apartment. If I do hit my old place you can accuse away.

I would think a commercial pilot could maintain Vbg, or at least keep the wings level in a deep stall when pancaking. Amazing that he was not injured.

It's real easy to stall dragging a rag, likely to be instantaneous with power loss in a little plane. The airplane would not behave normally in the stall either...he could have been inverted into a flat spin by the time he released the banner.

Watched Secondhand Lions too many times.

Or North by Northwest, or the English Patient.

Or real life, but I'm sure it was just a "coincidence."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/us/19crash.html

I've never towed a banner, but I imagine that there is an effective shift forward of the CG with release. 10-15 seconds later he stalled / spun? Enter downwind and make short approach into your house? I'd still bet dollars to donuts there is something else going on. We'll see what final report says in a while.

From ASN:

Narrative:
According to pilot declaration the plane suffered a sudden complete loss of power during a banner-towing flight. The pilot released the banner and -according to witnesses- intended a 'U' turn impacting the high floor in a steep right turn position, with a right bank angle of almost 90º. Post-crash fire started immediately upon impact. Pilot walked away unharmed and started fire-fighting with a garden hose. Pilot was informed being a veteran professional firefighter.

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=166019

There is another somewhat similar crash to the ones above, this time the guy flew the plane into the place his wife worked. I think it is just a dramatic way to go, and for some reason this draws disturbed individuals to do things like this.

Kathryn's Report: Cessna 172S Skyhawk, N914CP, Civil Air Patrol: Fatal accident occurred December 29, 2015 in Anchorage, Alaska

Maybe 10 years ago, a guy crashed a plane into the insurabce company he worked for, or used to work for.

And, there was the d-bag at FedEx who tried to kill the crew so as to crash the DC-10 into company headquarters, as he was about to be fired....for lying on his application.

So, vengeance crashes (or intent to) DO happen.

There was some teenager who flew a cessna into an office building in FL about 15 years ago. Inspired by 9/11 presumably.

I remember reading about Fedex 705 decades ago when it happened in the newspaper - the account was so gruesome it gave me chills. It wasn't clear if the pilots would survive afterward, but all of them did. I was so happy they pulled through.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federa...ess_Flight_705

I'm not sure if any of the people in the other thread about allowing guns in the cockpit remember these events. People are people, and as you said vengeance takeovers and crashes happen.