Loss of control Accident Cessna 172N N737FK,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 290073
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Sunday 28 April 2013
Time:13:58 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172N
Owner/operator:Air Reldan Inc
Registration: N737FK
MSN: 17269383
Year of manufacture:1977
Total airframe hrs:2733 hours
Engine model:Lycoming 0-320 SERIES
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:New Orleans, Louisiana -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Banner and glider towing
Departure airport:New Orleans-Lakefront Airport, LA (NEW/KNEW)
Destination airport:New Orleans-Lakefront Airport, LA (NEW/KNEW)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot reported that on his first low-pass attempt, he had missed picking up an advertising banner with the airplane's grapple hook assembly. On the second pass, he thought he had again missed the aerial pickup towline, so he made a shallow climb. A steep climb is required when a banner is picked up to quickly lift the banner off the ground. The pilot was unaware that during the airplane's second pass, the nose gear had inadvertently snagged the forward end of the 300-foot-long towline. The banner could not be jettisoned, and it was dragged on the ground during the shallow climb, creating additional drag on the airplane. The pilot reported an abrupt downward pull on the nose of the airplane, which caused him to lose control. The airplane impacted terrain about 1,000 feet south of the pickup location. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage, the engine mount, and the forward firewall. The pilot also reported that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to perform a steep climb before going around following a low pass for a banner tow pickup.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN13CA246
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN13CA246

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
06-Oct-2022 07:50 ASN Update Bot Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org