What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N60111 was engaged in banner tow operations from runway 5 at the kmqi airport. Witnesses on the ground saw the pilot come in too low on his first banner pick of the day and picked up the banner with the horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft instead of the banner hook. Ground crews spoke to the pilot on the radio and stated that the "banner was on the tail". The pilot responded on the radio "I know, I am having trouble steering". The pilot continued to climb out on approximately the runway heading. The aircraft started a left turn, away from the prevailing wind (130 degrees), and was seen entering a stall/spin that the aircraft did not recover from. The aircraft crashed into trees to the left of the departure end of runway 5. The pilot survived the crash but later perished due to the injuries sustained in the crash.
As the FAA filed it
N60111 WAS ENGAGED IN BANNER TOW OPERATIONS FROM RUNWAY 5 AT THE KMQI AIRPORT. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND SAW THE PILOT COME IN TOO LOW ON HIS FIRST BANNER PICK OF THE DAY AND PICKED UP THE BANNER WITH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF THE AIRCRAFT INSTEAD OF THE BANNER HOOK. GROUND CREWS SPOKE TO THE PILOT ON THE RADIO AND STATED THAT THE "BANNER WAS ON THE TAIL". THE PILOT RESPONDED ON THE RADIO "I KNOW, I AM HAVING TROUBLE STEERING". THE PILOT CONTINUED TO CLIMB OUT ON APPROXIMATELY THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A LEFT TURN, AWAY FROM THE PREVAILING WIND (130 DEGREES), AND WAS SEEN ENTERING A STALL/SPIN THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RECOVER FROM. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES TO THE LEFT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 5. THE PILOT SURVIVED THE CRASH BUT LATER PERISHED DUE TO THE INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH.
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 N60111 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.