What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/19/2016, at approximately 1145 hours, a single engine Stinson airplane impacted desert terrain during a forced landing near the Boulder City Airport in Boulder City, Nevada. The aircraft, which had been conducting banner towing operations, sustained substantial damage. The pilot/sole occupant sustained minor injuries.
On scene investigation revealed that the aircraft was mainly intact with complete control continuity. The aircraft was situated in an inverted position with a banner tow line extended out behind the direction of travel. A portion of the right horizontal stabilizer leading edge was found to have damage which would appear to be consistent with the facts provided by the pilot. The aircraft appeared to be under power at the point of touchdown. Investigators found tire impressions and displaced vegetation and damage to the aircraft, which appeared consistent with facts provided by the pilot.
The pilot for N818C departed runway 15 at Boulder City Airport to perform a banner towing operation. When the aircraft departed Boulder City Airport the wind was from the southwest. As the pilot began to position the airplane to pick up the banner the wind shifted and was now coming out of the north, this lead to a downwind banner pick up. The pilot release the gaffling hook from the left side of the aircraft. The pilot noticed the gaffling hook appeared to be approximately 8 feet shorter than normal. Although the pilot noticed the gaffling hook line was 8 feet shorter, he did not know why. The reason the hook line appeared shorter was due to the fact the gaffling hook line had passed over the top of the stab instead of under the stab and with a tail wind and 5 missed attempts to pick up the banner, the gaffling hook metal line had wrapped itself around the righthand horizontal stabilizer/elevator. Once the hook made contact witn the banner tow line the gaffling cable line tighted itself around the stabilizer/elevator forcing the elevator trailing edge down, thus forcing the aircraft in the nose down pitch attitude. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and was unable to return to the airport. This forced the pilot to land off airport, in the desert.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/19/2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 1145 HOURS, A SINGLE ENGINE STINSON AIRPLANE IMPACTED DESERT TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR THE BOULDER CITY AIRPORT IN BOULDER CITY, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD BEEN CONDUCTING BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAINLY INTACT WITH COMPLETE CONTROL CONTINUITY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SITUATED IN AN INVERTED POSITION WITH A BANNER TOW LINE EXTENDED OUT BEHIND THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. A PORTION OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE WAS FOUND TO HAVE DAMAGE WHICH WOULD APPEAR TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE FACTS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE UNDER POWER AT THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN. INVESTIGATORS FOUND TIRE IMPRESSIONS AND DISPLACED VEGETATION AND DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH APPEARED CONSISTENT WITH FACTS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT.
THE PILOT FOR N818C DEPARTED RUNWAY 15 AT BOULDER CITY AIRPORT TO PERFORM A BANNER TOWING OPERATION. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BOULDER CITY AIRPORT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST. AS THE PILOT BEGAN TO POSITION THE AIRPLANE TO PICK UP THE BANNER THE WIND SHIFTED AND WAS NOW COMING OUT OF THE NORTH, THIS LEAD TO A DOWNWIND BANNER PICK UP. THE PILOT RELEASE THE GAFFLING HOOK FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT NOTICED THE GAFFLING HOOK APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET SHORTER THAN NORMAL. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT NOTICED THE GAFFLING HOOK LINE WAS 8 FEET SHORTER, HE DID NOT KNOW WHY. THE REASON THE HOOK LINE APPEARED SHORTER WAS DUE TO THE FACT THE GAFFLING HOOK LINE HAD PASSED OVER THE TOP OF THE STAB INSTEAD OF UNDER THE STAB AND WITH A TAIL WIND AND 5 MISSED ATTEMPTS TO PICK UP THE BANNER, THE GAFFLING HOOK METAL LINE HAD WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE RIGHTHAND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER/ELEVATOR. ONCE THE HOOK MADE CONTACT WITN THE BANNER TOW LINE THE GAFFLING CABLE LINE TIGHTED ITSELF AROUND THE STABILIZER/ELEVATOR FORCING THE ELEVATOR TRAILING EDGE DOWN, THUS FORCING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE NOSE DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THIS FORCED THE PILOT TO LAND OFF AIRPORT, IN THE DESERT.
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 N818C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.