- Date
- August 23, 2017, 08:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Foley, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N181TMBellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170823010659A
- Case key
- 96020
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 ground crew’s incorrect hook up of the banner, which resulted in a nose-over.
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, during banner towing operations, he was on approach to drop the banner and pulled the tow release, but the banner did not release. The banner hit the ground and broke away from the airplane, and the airplane nosed over. The release mechanism has three hooks, but they typically only use the No. 1 hook. Postaccident examination of the hook release mechanism did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented the banner from being released. The pilot believed that the ground crew mistakenly set up the No. 3 hook to pick up and tow the banner instead of the No. 1 hook. Therefore, when he went to release the banner from the No.1 hook, there was nothing to release. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during banner towing operations, he was on approach to drop the banner. He pulled the tow release, but the banner did not release. The banner hit the ground, broke away from the airplane, and the airplane nosed over. The release mechanism has three hooks, but they typically only use the No. 1 hook. A postaccident examination of the hook release mechanism did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented the banner from being released. The pilot believed that the ground crew mistakenly set-up hook No.3 to pick up and tow the banner instead of No. 1. Therefore, when he went to release the banner from hook No.1, there was nothing to release. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N181TM
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 114-74
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 5,909
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Adroaldo Begrow
- Registered owner
- Mike Collins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 16, 2017
- Departed
- 0AL1 · Foley, AL
- Destination
- 0AL1 · Foley, AL
- Airport
- 0AL1 · Resort, runway 35, 2,640 × 70 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,066 total · 732 in this make and model · 1,066 as pilot in command · 475.2 in the last 90 days · 145.6 in the last 30 days · 5.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KJKA, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 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.