Cessna 150J N60111

Summary

On 27 June 2018 at about 14:26 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N60111, operated by Outerbanks Seaplanes LLC, was involved in an accident near Manteo, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 June 2018 at 14:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Manteo, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Dare County Rgnl (MQI)

Coordinates

35.9189, -75.6956

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N60111

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Outerbanks Seaplanes LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Banner Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manteo → Manteo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18FA180

1 person died.

A loss of control due to the banner tow rope becoming entangled with the left horizontal stabilizer in crosswind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was performing a banner-tow flight. A ground crewmember who witnessed the accident stated that the airplane was operating too low during the banner pickup. That witness and another indicated that, when the airplane picked up the banner-tow rope, it became entangled in the area of the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot radioed that he was unable to release the banner rope and could not turn the airplane. The airplane yawed left and only climbed to about 250 ft before descending into the trees by the airport. A postaccident examination of the flight controls and the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation with the exception that the banner tow rope was wrapped around the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer. During the approach to pick up the banner, the wind was a direct left crosswind at 10 knots gusting to 14 knots. It is likely that the pilot flew an approach that was hampered by the crosswind. During pickup of the tow line, the banner tow-rope became entangled with the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, reducing the pilot's ability to control the airplane, and resulted in a loss of control in flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.