Cessna 150G N2880S

Summary

On 14 September 2023 at about 20:10 local time, a Cessna 150G registered N2880S, operated by High Exposure Inc, was involved in an accident near Cross Keys, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 September 2023 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cross Keys, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Cross Keys (17N)

Coordinates

39.7055, -75.0330

Aircraft

Cessna 150G

Registration

N2880S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

High Exposure Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Banner Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA371

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the banner pickup, which resulted in a low altitude aerodynamic stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the banner tow airplane performed a normal takeoff and stayed in the airport traffic pattern for the banner pickup. The pilot described that after successfully capturing the pickup rope, he climbed with the engine at full power, the flaps retracted, and at a speed of about 45 to 50 mph. The airplane drifted left before the banner left the ground, and the pilot attempted to correct the flight path to the right. The airplane and banner subsequently climbed above the nearby trees, after which the pilot released the banner. The airplane then abruptly pitched up, the right wing “dropped,” and the airplane entered a 180-degree spin to the right that continued to ground impact. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged during the impact with trees and terrain. The operator reported, and a post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed, that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane and its flight controls that would have precluded normal operation. The operator also reported that it was their company’s standard procedure to climb the airplane at a speed of 55 mph with the flaps extended 10 degrees in order to achieve best climb out. Additionally, when releasing a banner, the prescribed procedure included pushing forward on the control yoke to prevent an abrupt pitch up. Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot climbed at too low an airspeed during the banner pickup, resulting in a loss of control, his decision to release the banner, and the uncorrected pitch up of the airplane that ultimately resulted in the aerodynamic stall/spin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.