What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) Descended too low for practice banner pickup. Struck banner pole. Rope wrapped around prop. Lost control. Hit trees. (.4)according to witnesses, the flight had been conducted for the pilot to practice banner towing pickup. Poles about 20 feet in height, with a yellow nylon rope were stretched perpendicular to the airplane's flight path. The flight was seen making a pass over the pickup point and then return. The flight approached the pickup point from the north to the south and parallel to runway 17. The airplane was seen approaching the pickup site at an altitude of about 50 feet above the ground. About 100 feet north of the rope the airplane descended to an altitude of about 20 feet above the ground, and was seen striking the rope with the propeller. The rope wrapped around the propeller, shedding pieces of rope. Witnesses described the sound the rope made as being similar to 'a large weed whacker.' The airplane continued in a southerly direction and climbed to about 100 to 150 feet above the ground. The witnesses saw the airplane turn left (east), and then turn 'sharply' to the north. The airplane was last seen descending right wing and nose low into the tress . Several witnesses said that after the airplane struck the rope the engine RPM decreased, but the engine continued to run. Seventeen feet of yellow nylon rope was found wrapped around the propeller and engine flange. (-23) pilot was practicing banner tow operations (banner pick-up) and nylon rope was caught by the aircraft's propeller when pilot attempted to pick-up banner on low fly approach. Aircraft continued climb then turned sharply to left to return to airport (Ocean Springs, MS) and aircraft appeared to stall and impacted 100 yards off runway 17 in woods.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) DESCENDED TOO LOW FOR PRACTICE BANNER PICKUP. STRUCK BANNER POLE. ROPE WRAPPED AROUND PROP. LOST CONTROL. HIT TREES. (.4)ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR THE PILOT TO PRACTICE BANNER TOWING PICKUP. POLES ABOUT 20 FEET IN HEIGHT, WITH A YELLOW NYLON ROPE WERE STRETCHED PERPENDICULAR TO THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT PATH. THE FLIGHT WAS SEEN MAKING A PASS OVER THE PICKUP POINT AND THEN RETURN. THE FLIGHT APPROACHED THE PICKUP POINT FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH AND PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 17. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN APPROACHING THE PICKUP SITE AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ABOUT 100 FEET NORTH OF THE ROPE THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND WAS SEEN STRIKING THE ROPE WITH THE PROPELLER. THE ROPE WRAPPED AROUND THE PROPELLER, SHEDDING PIECES OF ROPE. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE SOUND THE ROPE MADE AS BEING SIMILAR TO 'A LARGE WEED WHACKER.' THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE TURN LEFT (EAST), AND THEN TURN 'SHARPLY' TO THE NORTH. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST SEEN DESCENDING RIGHT WING AND NOSE LOW INTO THE TRESS . SEVERAL WITNESSES SAID THAT AFTER THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE ROPE THE ENGINE RPM DECREASED, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. SEVENTEEN FEET OF YELLOW NYLON ROPE WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE FLANGE. (-23) PILOT WAS PRACTICING BANNER TOW OPERATIONS (BANNER PICK-UP) AND NYLON ROPE WAS CAUGHT BY THE AIRCRAFT'S PROPELLER WHEN PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PICK-UP BANNER ON LOW FLY APPROACH. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED CLIMB THEN TURNED SHARPLY TO LEFT TO RETURN TO AIRPORT (OCEAN SPRINGS, MS) AND AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STALL AND IMPACTED 100 YARDS OFF RUNWAY 17 IN WOODS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.