What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 7, 2000, at approximately 1500 EDT, a Cessna CE-150-K, registered as N8362M and operated by sky ADS, inc. was substantially damaged during banner tow operations at the company's small grass air strip near fairmount, DE. The commerical pilot, the soel occupant, was not injured. The banner tow operations were conducted under a certificate of waiver, dated September 1, 1999, issued by the philadelphia flight standards district office. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations. The pilot stated that at approximately 50 ft. AGL, power was added to initiate the maneuver to jettison the banner. The pilot stated that "the plane did not accelerate and the aircraft dropped from the air from an altitude of 40 ft. AGL." Subsequently, the aricraft impacted the ground bouncing approximately 20 ft in the air. At that point "felt the power kick in and the plane began to accelerate." The pilot then jettisoned the banner and began to climb out, however, the pilot noted that the aircraft was "shaking and somewhat difficult to control." During the go-around the pilot attempted to reduce the pow er but, noted that the throttle was stuck. While on final, the pilot attempted to shut the engine off by reducing the mixture, but got no response from this control. The pilot then turned off both magneots, which stopped the engine and made a landing to the north on the company's grasss air strip. During the roll out, the nose gear collapsed. The propeller was stopped in the horizontal position and did not come in contact with the ground. On scene investigation revealed that substantial damage to the nose landing gear, engine mount truss frame and support structure were damaged as a result of the impact with the ground. Additionally, the lower engine firewall was also buckled. Both throttle and mixture controls cables were routed through this area and were confirmed jammed as a result of the damage. There was no evidence of a propeller strike. Numerous airworthiness issues, unrelated to the accident were observed during the inspection of the aircraft. These include but are not limited to: a damaged trailing edge rudder, a damaged elevator trim tab, worn left and right flap roller tracks, improper repairs to the left horizontal stabilizer and aft window, and other indicati ons of poor maintenance practices,all of which would normally be identified during a pilot preflight. A separate investigation into these issues is in progress. Both the NTSB and the AEA-FSDO-17'S operation unit supervisor have been advised of the results of this investigation thus FAR. privacy data omitted This report will be amended as further details into the investigation become available.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 7, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 EDT, A CESSNA CE-150-K, REGISTERED AS N8362M AND OPERATED BY SKY ADS, INC. WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING BANNER TOW OPERATIONS AT THE COMPANY'S SMALL GRASS AIR STRIP NEAR FAIRMOUNT, DE. THE COMMERICAL PILOT, THE SOEL OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE BANNER TOW OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED UNDER A CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER, DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 1999, ISSUED BY THE PHILADELPHIA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FT. AGL, POWER WAS ADDED TO INITIATE THE MANEUVER TO JETTISON THE BANNER. THE PILOT STATED THAT "THE PLANE DID NOT ACCELERATE AND THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED FROM THE AIR FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 40 FT. AGL." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ARICRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND BOUNCING APPROXIMATELY 20 FT IN THE AIR. AT THAT POINT "FELT THE POWER KICK IN AND THE PLANE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE." THE PILOT THEN JETTISONED THE BANNER AND BEGAN TO CLIMB OUT, HOWEVER, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS "SHAKING AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL." DURING THE GO-AROUND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE THE POW ER BUT, NOTED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. WHILE ON FINAL, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF BY REDUCING THE MIXTURE, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE FROM THIS CONTROL. THE PILOT THEN TURNED OFF BOTH MAGNEOTS, WHICH STOPPED THE ENGINE AND MADE A LANDING TO THE NORTH ON THE COMPANY'S GRASSS AIR STRIP. DURING THE ROLL OUT, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PROPELLER WAS STOPPED IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION AND DID NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, ENGINE MOUNT TRUSS FRAME AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. ADDITIONALLY, THE LOWER ENGINE FIREWALL WAS ALSO BUCKLED. BOTH THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS CABLES WERE ROUTED THROUGH THIS AREA AND WERE CONFIRMED JAMMED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A PROPELLER STRIKE. NUMEROUS AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES, UNRELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE OBSERVED DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THESE INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: A DAMAGED TRAILING EDGE RUDDER, A DAMAGED ELEVATOR TRIM TAB, WORN LEFT AND RIGHT FLAP ROLLER TRACKS, IMPROPER REPAIRS TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND AFT WINDOW, AND OTHER INDICATI ONS OF POOR MAINTENANCE PRACTICES,ALL OF WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE IDENTIFIED DURING A PILOT PREFLIGHT. A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION INTO THESE ISSUES IS IN PROGRESS. BOTH THE NTSB AND THE AEA-FSDO-17'S OPERATION UNIT SUPERVISOR HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE RESULTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION THUS FAR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS FURTHER DETAILS INTO THE INVESTIGATION BECOME AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.