What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)At approximately 1339 eastern, on June 16, 2001, a Cessna 150 (N11912) was engaged in a banner tow operation. After releasing the banner in the sod area adjacent to runway 23 at Dare County Regional Airport, the aircraft was observed climbing at a steep angle. The aircraft was then observed descending at a steep angle. The aircraft impacted a pile of concrete debris resulting in total loss of the aircraft as well as a post crash fire. The pilot suffered fatal injuries. (.19)on June 16, 2001, at about 1339 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N11912, registered to kitty hawk aero tours, as a 14 CFR part 91 banner tow flight, crashed during a banner drop off at the Dare County Regional Airport, Manteo, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire and the commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Dare County Regional Airport about 39 minutes before the accident. Two employees of Dare County Regional Airport (air operations technician and operations supervisor), stated they were in the vicinity of the operations area at the airport, which overlooks the approach and departure end of runway 23/05. The air operations technician heard the airplane approaching. Both employees looked outside and observed the accident airplane releasing his banner in the sod area adjacent to runway 23. The air operations technician heard an increase in engine power, and both employees observed the nose of the airplane to pitch up greater than 45 degrees. The airplane disappeared from view due to obstructions. The air operations supervisor looked away to take care of some business. The air operations technician saw the airplane descending in a nose-down attitude greater than 45 degrees. Both of the employees heard the pilot state on the UNICOM radio frequency, "oh my god, I'm dead, I'm dead." The airplane collided with the terrain followed by an explosion and flames. Two other witnesses observed the pilot drop his banner in the sod area next to runway 23. The nose of the airplane pitched up steeply estimated greater than 45 degrees. The airplane stalled, the left wing dropped, the airplane rolled to the left in a nose-down attitude, collided with the terrain and exploded.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)AT APPROXIMATELY 1339 EASTERN, ON JUNE 16, 2001, A CESSNA 150 (N11912) WAS ENGAGED IN A BANNER TOW OPERATION. AFTER RELEASING THE BANNER IN THE SOD AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 23 AT DARE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED CLIMBING AT A STEEP ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED DESCENDING AT A STEEP ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A PILE OF CONCRETE DEBRIS RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF THE AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS A POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. (.19)ON JUNE 16, 2001, AT ABOUT 1339 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N11912, REGISTERED TO KITTY HAWK AERO TOURS, AS A 14 CFR PART 91 BANNER TOW FLIGHT, CRASHED DURING A BANNER DROP OFF AT THE DARE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POSTCRASH FIRE AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM DARE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT ABOUT 39 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. TWO EMPLOYEES OF DARE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (AIR OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN AND OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR), STATED THEY WERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE OPERATIONS AREA AT THE AIRPORT, WHICH OVERLOOKS THE APPROACH AND DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 23/05. THE AIR OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN HEARD THE AIRPLANE APPROACHING. BOTH EMPLOYEES LOOKED OUTSIDE AND OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE RELEASING HIS BANNER IN THE SOD AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 23. THE AIR OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN HEARD AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER, AND BOTH EMPLOYEES OBSERVED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO PITCH UP GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS. THE AIR OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR LOOKED AWAY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME BUSINESS. THE AIR OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN SAW THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES. BOTH OF THE EMPLOYEES HEARD THE PILOT STATE ON THE UNICOM RADIO FREQUENCY, "OH MY GOD, I'M DEAD, I'M DEAD." THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION AND FLAMES. TWO OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT DROP HIS BANNER IN THE SOD AREA NEXT TO RUNWAY 23. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP STEEPLY ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE STALLED, THE LEFT WING DROPPED, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN AND EXPLODED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N11912 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.