What happened
On June 27, 2018, a Cessna 150J, registration N60111, was destroyed during a banner-tow operation near Manteo, North Carolina. The aircraft was being operated under Part 91 regulations for a banner-tow flight.
During the approach to the pickup poles, a ground crewmember observed the aircraft flying very low, with the tail approximately 5 feet off the ground. As the airplane passed through the pickup area, the banner tow rope became caught around the left elevator. The pilot radioed the ground crew, stating that the rope would not release and that the aircraft could not turn.
Witnesses observed the aircraft climbing to an altitude of approximately 250 feet before entering an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft then descended into trees located just left of the departure end of runway 23. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the wreckage showed the airplane came to rest inverted. The forward fuselage sustained extensive compression damage, crushing the cockpit. The engine was displaced aft and toward the left, though examination via borescope showed no anomalies in the cylinders, and compression and suction were present. The propeller blades were bent and scored, but remained attached to the crankshaft flange.
Investigators found the banner-tow rope wrapped around the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the flight controls and the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.