Incident Overview
During a banner pick-up operation, the pilot experienced moderate turbulence. The encounter was brief, and visual cues suggested that the banner towline had been picked up normally. However, as the aircraft climbed, it swerved to the right, and the pilot observed that the towline was hooked around the right main landing gear assembly.
Forced Landing
Recognizing the increased drag, the pilot lowered the nose and conducted a forced landing to a grass field. As the aircraft neared the ground, the banner touched down first, inducing additional drag. The pilot applied extra power to compensate, but the aircraft touched down hard and continued down an embankment, coming to rest inverted.
Weather Conditions
Winds reported at the airport around the time of the accident were from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.