Cessna 150E N3981U

Summary

On 7 June 1993 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 150E registered N3981U, operated by Atlantic Coastal Aerial, was involved in an accident near Selbyville, Delaware, 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

7 June 1993 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Selbyville, Delaware, United States

Nearest airport

Warrington Airport (NONE)

Coordinates

38.4705, -75.1705

Aircraft

Cessna 150E

Registration

N3981U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Atlantic Coastal Aerial

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC93FA102

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN AND COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE BANNER TOWING OPERATION.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A BANNER TOW PICKUP. ANOTHER TOW PILOT WHO WAS PERFORMING GROUND DUTIES STATED THAT THE APPROACH AND CLIMB SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 50 TO 100 FEET, WHEN THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN STARTED TO CLIMB AGAIN. THE WITNESS SAID THE BANNER PICKUP WAS NORMAL, BUT THEN THE TOW AIRPLANE 'STARTED TO DESCEND AND WOBBLE THE WINGS.' THE BANNER WAS RELEASED AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSE 'PITCHED UP.' THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN APPEARED TO STALL AND DID A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT AND HIT THE GROUND IN A STEEP ATTITUDE. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE PILOT COMPLETED BANNER TOWING TRAINING ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER, AND HE HAD SINCE ACQUIRED ABOUT 33 HOURS TOTAL TIME OF BANNER TOWING EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.