What happened
On June 10, 2017, a Socata Rallye MS 893, registration F-BSDE, was performing a banner towing maneuver near the Candillargues aerodrome in France. During the attachment process, the pilot descended at a rate of 500 feet per minute with an indicated airspeed of 60 knots. During this maneuver, the aircraft flew lower than the intended trajectory, causing the banner cable, which was stretched between two poles, to become entangled around the aircraft's main landing gear.
After noticing the issue, the pilot performed a low pass to allow a ground operator to inspect the situation. Following this inspection, the pilot decided to terminate the flight and proceeded to the final approach for runway 32. During the landing, the pilot experienced an unusual amount of deceleration, and the right main landing gear broke, resulting in heavy damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the banner attachment and the pilot's experience level. The pilot, a 27-year-old professional holding a CPL(A) and IR/ME ratings, had recently obtained a competency declaration for banner towing in May 2017 after only five hours of training. This flight marked the pilot's first operational mission in this capacity.
Investigators examined the meteorological conditions, noting that the aerodrome was near a sea breeze front with light to moderate turbulence. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's training, which included theoretical instruction and practical maneuvers such as low-speed flight and emergency procedures for incorrect banner attachments.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the entanglement of the banner cable around the main landing gear due to an excessively low flight path during the attachment maneuver.
- The pilot's limited operational experience in banner towing contributed to the difficulty in managing the situation.
- The decision to conduct the maneuver during midday atmospheric conditions, characterized by sea breeze-related turbulence, likely created a challenging environment for a pilot with minimal specialized training.