The banner-tow pilot approached the pickup point to catch the rope with his tail hook. Shortly after his initial pitch-up maneuver to hook the rope, the pilot observed through a mirror that the rope was not attached to his tail hook. Photos taken of the airplane in the air by a witness show the tow rope hooked around the nose gear and looped over the right horizontal stabilizer. Unable to release the banner, the pilot returned to land on the grassy area next to the runway. As the airplane descended, the banner contacted the ground, resulting in a significant amount of drag. The airplane contacted the ground hard, substantially damaging its firewall.
July 4, 2011, Vancouver, Wash., Cessna 182A Skylane
The banner-tow pilot approached the pickup point to catch the rope with his tail hook. Shortly after his initial pitch-up maneuver to hook the rope, the pilot observed through a mirror that the rope was not attached to his tail hook. Photos taken of the airplane in the air by a witness show the tow rope hooked around the nose gear and looped over the right horizontal stabilizer.
Key Takeaways:
- During a banner pickup attempt, the tow rope became entangled around the airplane's nose gear and right horizontal stabilizer instead of the tail hook.
- Unable to release the banner, the pilot attempted to land, but the banner contacted the ground, creating significant drag.
- The excessive drag caused a hard landing, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall.
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