What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A banner towing system is comprised of a tow hitch which is mounted at the tail of the aircraft, cable assembly, and release handle located in the cockpit. The tow hitch is comprised of an "over center" arm that secures the banner tow rope ring. The tow ring and the arm are held in place with a temporary locking mechanism (close ring) that is controlled by the release handle in the cockpit.
The banner tow line is comprised of a mounting ring that is secured into the tow hitch, a length of rope, a safety link that is designed to release the banner when the design load is exceeded, and a tow hook with three barbs spaced 120 degrees apart.
A banner is comprised of the lettering, lead pole, and tow rope (may also have a safety link installed) which has a very large loop which is suspended between tow poles. The giant loop between the poles is the target for the pilot to fly to and have the tow hook snag the loop into one of the barbs.
To pick up a banner the pilot secures the tow rope into the tow hitch and routes the tow rope into the cockpit area. Once airborne the pilot releases the tow line out of the cockpit and it becomes in trail with the airplane. The pilot then flies to the banner loop and "hooks" it with the tow hook. Once hooked the banner peels off of the ground backwards and then becomes vertical when in trail due to the way the lead pole is mounted to the banner.
To drop a banner the pilot flies over the drop area, pulls the release handle which then pulls the hitch close ring away from the hitch arm and the banner pulls out of the hitch and falls to the ground.
The accident aircraft took off, released the banner tow line which went into trail, and then made a normal approach to the banner loop. When the tow line and banner tow rope engaged (hooked) somehow the rope and hook "sprung" un-expectantly causing the tow rope and banner rope to wrap around the tow hitch. Once airborne with the banner the pilot attempted to release the banner but the rope(s) were somehow wrapped around the hitch assembly preventing the pilot from pulling the release handle. At this point the banner could not be released and the pilot was forced to land with the banner still attached. Landing with the banner attached then caused the aircraft to rapidly decelerate causing it to flip onto its nose then onto it's back. Post accident checks on the banner release handle and cable were completed and proper operation confirmed. There were no signs of improper aircraft operation with the take off or the tow hook release.
As the FAA filed it
A BANNER TOWING SYSTEM IS COMPRISED OF A TOW HITCH WHICH IS MOUNTED AT THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT, CABLE ASSEMBLY, AND RELEASE HANDLE LOCATED IN THE COCKPIT. THE TOW HITCH IS COMPRISED OF AN "OVER CENTER" ARM THAT SECURES THE BANNER TOW ROPE RING. THE TOW RING AND THE ARM ARE HELD IN PLACE WITH A TEMPORARY LOCKING MECHANISM (CLOSE RING) THAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE RELEASE HANDLE IN THE COCKPIT.
THE BANNER TOW LINE IS COMPRISED OF A MOUNTING RING THAT IS SECURED INTO THE TOW HITCH, A LENGTH OF ROPE, A SAFETY LINK THAT IS DESIGNED TO RELEASE THE BANNER WHEN THE DESIGN LOAD IS EXCEEDED, AND A TOW HOOK WITH THREE BARBS SPACED 120 DEGREES APART.
A BANNER IS COMPRISED OF THE LETTERING, LEAD POLE, AND TOW ROPE (MAY ALSO HAVE A SAFETY LINK INSTALLED) WHICH HAS A VERY LARGE LOOP WHICH IS SUSPENDED BETWEEN TOW POLES. THE GIANT LOOP BETWEEN THE POLES IS THE TARGET FOR THE PILOT TO FLY TO AND HAVE THE TOW HOOK SNAG THE LOOP INTO ONE OF THE BARBS.
TO PICK UP A BANNER THE PILOT SECURES THE TOW ROPE INTO THE TOW HITCH AND ROUTES THE TOW ROPE INTO THE COCKPIT AREA. ONCE AIRBORNE THE PILOT RELEASES THE TOW LINE OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND IT BECOMES IN TRAIL WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT THEN FLIES TO THE BANNER LOOP AND "HOOKS" IT WITH THE TOW HOOK. ONCE HOOKED THE BANNER PEELS OFF OF THE GROUND BACKWARDS AND THEN BECOMES VERTICAL WHEN IN TRAIL DUE TO THE WAY THE LEAD POLE IS MOUNTED TO THE BANNER.
TO DROP A BANNER THE PILOT FLIES OVER THE DROP AREA, PULLS THE RELEASE HANDLE WHICH THEN PULLS THE HITCH CLOSE RING AWAY FROM THE HITCH ARM AND THE BANNER PULLS OUT OF THE HITCH AND FALLS TO THE GROUND.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, RELEASED THE BANNER TOW LINE WHICH WENT INTO TRAIL, AND THEN MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO THE BANNER LOOP. WHEN THE TOW LINE AND BANNER TOW ROPE ENGAGED (HOOKED) SOMEHOW THE ROPE AND HOOK "SPRUNG" UN-EXPECTANTLY CAUSING THE TOW ROPE AND BANNER ROPE TO WRAP AROUND THE TOW HITCH. ONCE AIRBORNE WITH THE BANNER THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE BANNER BUT THE ROPE(S) WERE SOMEHOW WRAPPED AROUND THE HITCH ASSEMBLY PREVENTING THE PILOT FROM PULLING THE RELEASE HANDLE. AT THIS POINT THE BANNER COULD NOT BE RELEASED AND THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND WITH THE BANNER STILL ATTACHED. LANDING WITH THE BANNER ATTACHED THEN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE CAUSING IT TO FLIP ONTO ITS NOSE THEN ONTO IT'S BACK. POST ACCIDENT CHECKS ON THE BANNER RELEASE HANDLE AND CABLE WERE COMPLETED AND PROPER OPERATION CONFIRMED. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF IMPROPER AIRCRAFT OPERATION WITH THE TAKE OFF OR THE TOW HOOK RELEASE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.