GROSSE ILE, MI, USA
N5522G
CESSNA 150J
THE PILOT WAS FLYING A BANNER TOW FLIGHT. WHEN HE PICKED UP THE BANNER, THE ROPE CAUGHT ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR INSTEAD OF THE TOW HOOK. THE BANNER CAUSED NO ADVERSE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS, SO THE PILOT FLEW THE TWO HOUR FLIGHT. HOWEVER, AS HE WAS LANDING, THE INCREASED DRAG OF THE BANNER CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO STALL AT ABOUT SIX FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND WAS DAMAGED.
On October 3, 1993, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150J, N5522G, sustained substantial damage in a hard landing at the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport, Grosse Ile, Michigan. The commercial pilot was not injured. The local banner towing flight originated at the Grosse Ile Airport. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot reported when he picked up the banner, the tow rope caught on the right main landing gear instead of the tow hook. He said there were no problems with flying, so he flew a two hour banner flight. When he returned to land he stated the banner, "...created more drag than normal causing the aircraft to stall and impact the ground nose first."
THE PILOT MISJUDGED ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE DURING THE BANNER PICKUP, WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOW ROPE SNAGGING THE LANDING GEAR, AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHILE LANDING WITH THE BANNER ATTACHED, WHICH RESULTED IN A FAILURE (OR INABILITY) TO ATTAIN A FLARE FOR LANDING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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