What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Banner shredded upon pick up and disconnected from tow plane, pilot checked and could not see tow rope still attached to a/c. tower and ground crew informed pilot that the banner had disconnected. Pilot returned for landing. The banner had failed just aft of the lead pole, the tow rope and lead pole were still attached to the a/c but trailing much lower than normal due to the lack of a banner. The lead pole and rope snagged some powerlines that cross approx. 150 feet from the end of the runway, the shear link functioned as designed the pilot was unaware that the rope had contacted the wires. There was no damage to the a/c or the power lines, the rope was removed from the powerlines by the utility company.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)BANNER SHREDDED UPON PICK UP AND DISCONNECTED FROM TOW PLANE, PILOT CHECKED AND COULD NOT SEE TOW ROPE STILL ATTACHED TO A/C. TOWER AND GROUND CREW INFORMED PILOT THAT THE BANNER HAD DISCONNECTED. PILOT RETURNED FOR LANDING. THE BANNER HAD FAILED JUST AFT OF THE LEAD POLE, THE TOW ROPE AND LEAD POLE WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE A/C BUT TRAILING MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE LACK OF A BANNER. THE LEAD POLE AND ROPE SNAGGED SOME POWERLINES THAT CROSS APPROX. 150 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE SHEAR LINK FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED THE PILOT WAS UNAWARE THAT THE ROPE HAD CONTACTED THE WIRES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE A/C OR THE POWER LINES, THE ROPE WAS REMOVED FROM THE POWERLINES BY THE UTILITY COMPANY.
Other reports on N61846 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.