- Date
- September 3, 2004, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrence, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5208GCessna 305A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040903023369A
- Case key
- 60033
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 inadvertent pickup of a banner towline with the airplanes main landing gear after encountering gusting wind conditions. A factor related to the accident was the gusting wind conditions.
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
As the pilot initiated the banner pick up, moderate turbulence was encountered, and the airplane began to descend. The turbulence encounter lasted momentarily, and all of the pilot's visual cues indicated that the banner towline was picked up normally. As the airplane was climbing out, the pilot felt the airplane swerve to the right, and observed that the banner towline was hooked around the right main landing gear assembly. Realizing that the airplane was subjected to increased drag, the pilot lowered the nose, and performed a forced landing to a grass field. As the airplane neared the ground, the banner touched down first, and induced more drag on the airplane. The pilot added additional power to compensate; however, the airplane touched down hard, and continued down an embankment, where it came to rest inverted. The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
On September 3, 2004, at 1415 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 305A, N5208G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, after picking up a banner at the Lawrence Municipal Airport (LWM), Lawrence, Massachusetts. The certificated commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local banner-tow flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
As the pilot initiated the banner pick up, moderate turbulence was encountered, and the airplane began to descend. The turbulence encounter lasted momentarily, and all of the pilot's visual cues indicated that the banner towline was picked up normally. As the airplane was climbing out, about 300 feet above the ground, the pilot looked over his left shoulder, and observed the banner leave the ground. At that moment, the pilot felt the airplane swerve to the right, and observed that the banner towline was hooked around the right main landing gear assembly.
Realizing that the airplane was subjected to increased drag, the pilot lowered the nose, and performed a forced landing to a grass field. As the airplane neared the ground, the banner touched down first, and induced more drag on the airplane. The pilot added additional power to compensate; however, the airplane touched down hard, and continued down an embankment, where it came to rest inverted.
The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5208G
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21936
- Airframe hours
- 10,554
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fly an Ad LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 2004 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- LWM · Lawrence, MA
- Airport
- LWM · Lawrence Muni
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2004
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,180 total · 2,070 in this make and model · 120 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- LWM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5208G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.