- Date
- April 28, 2013, 14:58 local (19:58 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N737FKCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Baton Rouge FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130428006699A
- Case key
- 86773
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to perform a steep climb before going around following a low pass for a banner tow pickup.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that on his first low-pass attempt, he had missed picking up an advertising banner with the airplane’s grapple hook assembly. On the second pass, he thought he had again missed the aerial pickup towline, so he made a shallow climb. A steep climb is required when a banner is picked up to quickly lift the banner off the ground. The pilot was unaware that during the airplane’s second pass, the nose gear had inadvertently snagged the forward end of the 300-foot-long towline. The banner could not be jettisoned, and it was dragged on the ground during the shallow climb, creating additional drag on the airplane. The pilot reported an abrupt downward pull on the nose of the airplane, which caused him to lose control. The airplane impacted terrain about 1,000 feet south of the pickup location. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage, the engine mount, and the forward firewall. The pilot also reported that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that on his first low pass attempt he had missed picking up an advertising banner with the airplane’s grapple hook assembly. On the second pass he thought he had again missed the aerial pickup towline and he made a shallow climb out instead of the steep climb required when the banner is picked up. The pilot was then unaware that during the airplane’s second pass the nose gear had inadvertently snagged the forward end of the 300 foot long towline. The banner could not be jettisoned and it was dragged on the ground during the shallow climb out. The pilot reported an abrupt downward pull on the nose of the airplane, which caused him to lose control. The airplane impacted terrain about 1,000 feet south of the pickup location. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage, the engine mount and forward firewall. The pilot also reported that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737FK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269383
- Airframe hours
- 2,733
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Reldan Inc, doing business as Air Reldan Inc
- Registered owner
- Air Reldan Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · March 11, 2013 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Airport
- NEW · Lakefront Airport, runway 18L, 3,697 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 797 total · 30 in this make and model · 669 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KNEW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.