- Date
- October 19, 2016, 11:44 local (18:44 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N818CStinson 108 3
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161019020979A
- Case key
- 94251
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 ensure that the aerial pickup towline was not entangled around the horizontal stabilizer after the banner pickup.
Findings · 3
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
In a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge, the pilot stated that, during the initial climb after an aerial pickup of a banner, the towline became entangled with the right horizontal stabilizer and the right elevator. Subsequently the airplane pitched down, impacted the ground, and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After multiple requests, the pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Factual narrative
In a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC), the pilot stated that during the initial climb after an aerial pickup of a banner, the towline cable became entangled with the right horizontal stabilizer and the right elevator. Subsequently the airplane pitched down, impacted the ground, and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After multiple requests, the pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N818C
- Reported as
- Stinson 108 3 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-3818
- Built
- 1948
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- BVU · Boulder City, NV
- Destination
- BVU · Boulder City, NV
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- BVU · Boulder City Muni
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 16, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 794 KB 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.