- Date
- September 27, 1999, 17:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Detroit, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N40LMCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990927030499A
- Case key
- 47453
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 maintain control of the airplane which resulted in the inadvertent spin. A factor was the pilot snagged the banner pole.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported he had made two successful banner tows before the accident occurred. On the third banner tow, the hook '...missed the banner rope and grabbed one of the pick-up poles instead. It was my intent to keep my aircraft and attached pole over the airport to minimize the possibility of property damage or injury to people on the ground if the pole broke free of my hook.' The pilot attempted to stay within the airport boundary and he entered a climbing left turn. He reported, 'I added too much left rudder which immediately put me into a spin. Altitude at this point was approximately 300' AGL.' He reported he attempted to do a spin recovery but the airplane impacted the runway in a 30 degrees nose low attitude. The airplane bounced twice before impacting a jet blast wall.
Factual narrative
On September 27, 1999, at 1705 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N40LM, was destroyed when it nose dived into the ground while in a downwind climb at the Detroit City Airport, Detroit, Michigan. The airplane was being used in banner tow operations. The airplane had hooked the banner, but cut it loose when the airplane appeared to stall. The pilot requested a go around and had turned downwind when the airplane impacted the ground. The commercial pilot received serious injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Toledo, Ohio, at 1545 EDT and had flown to Detroit City Airport for the banner tow flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported he had made two successful banner tows before the accident occurred. He reported that on the third banner tow, the hook "...missed the banner rope and grabbed one of the pick-up poles instead. It was my intent to keep my aircraft and attached pole over the airport to minimize the possibility of property damage or injury to people on the ground if the pole broke free of my hook."
The pilot reported he attempted to stay within the airport boundary and he entered a climbing left turn. He reported, "I added too much left rudder which immediately put me into a spin. Altitude at this point was approximately 300' AGL." He reported he attempted to do a spin recovery, but the airplane impacted the runway in a 30 degrees nose low attitude. The airplane bounced twice before it impacted a jet blast wall. The pilot reported he was knocked unconscious during the impact sequence and the airplane was destroyed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40LM
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A1500418
- Airframe hours
- 6,255
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2H, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1999 · 300 hours before
- Departed
- DET
- Airport
- DET · Detroit City, runway 7, 4,025 × 100 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 664 total · 284 in this make and model · 588 as pilot in command · 138 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DET
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.