N2401E – CESSNA 172N – 2011-10-17 NTSB Accident Report

On October 17, 2011, a Cessna 172N (N2401E) was involved in an incident near Covington, LA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a banner drop, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

Following a local banner towing flight, the pilot returned to the airport to drop the banner. With the flaps extended 10 degrees, the pilot maneuvered the airplane about 200 feet above the runway and slowed to an airspeed of 60 knots. After releasing the banner, the pilot added full engine power and felt a “surge/deceleration.” As the pilot reached down and pulled the banner release handle a second time, thinking the banner had not released, the airplane’s left wing and nosed dropped. The pilot was able to recover to wings level; however, before the descent could be arrested, the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage during the impact.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA030. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2401E.