Narrative:

After a normal takeoff from runway 5, and a normal release of the grappling hook end of my 15' towing hook line, I entered a right-hand traffic pattern for runway 5. The tower cleared me for 'banner operation' while on my downwind leg. The approach for the banner pickup was normal. However, when I reached the uprights (supporting the banner tow loop line), my main gear captured the tow line. I was able to continue the pickup, applying power and initiating a climb. The view of the gear from the seat of the aircraft is limited. Consequently, I asked the tower if they could confirm that the rope was attached to the gear. The tower did confirm this, as did the ground crew member. I elected to continue the climb to a safe altitude to assess the flight characteristics of the aircraft, and burn off fuel. I advised the tower of my intentions. I also communicated that because I was unable to release the banner in flight, I would be forced to land with the banner in tow, requiring an emergency landing. I estimated I would return within 30 mins. I flew the plane north of groton-new london airport and leveled off at 1000' MSL. The aircraft flew safely at the normal 60 mph towing airspeed, although it required full nose up trim and some back stick pressure. I judged this to be caused by the forward location of the tow line attachment and its proximity to the aircraft's center of gravity. Since flight characteristics of the aircraft in this confign were unknown, I elected to reverse my original decision and return to land as soon as possible. I immediately informed the tower of my revised intentions and declared an emergency, requesting rescue track on the field. The tower acknowledged and advised me to report a left base for runway 5. I continued the approach, performing both the normal and emergency landing checklists. I was cleared to land by the tower and informed that rescue vehs were standing by. I acknowledged this clearance and continued the approach to a safe landing. As consistent with the checklists on short final, I shut off the master and I pulled the mixture just prior to T/D in order to lessen the chance of any further damage or fire. Once the aircraft rolled to a stop, emergency crews responded and intercepted the aircraft on the runway. I reported that everything was ok, and that there appeared to be no obvious damage to the aircraft/engine. The banner and tow line also appeared undamaged. The ground crewman removed the banner and tow line from the aircraft and the runway. I then restarted the aircraft and taxied to parking. I have 58 hours of banner tow experience. When I began towing I investigated to find any documentation on banner tow emergencys. Any documentation I found was minimal and not very detailed. It seems that people's attitudes, pilot's and FAA's, are that you must not be very smart if something like this happens to you. However, in an operation such as this, the possibility is always there for something of this nature to happen. Because I had researched what little information there was, and was prepared for a possible emergency mentally, I believe I handled what could have been a catastrophe calmly and correctly. I must also attribute some credit to the aircraft. The flight characteristics are not researched for this type of incident, however the aircraft flew very well. I think it would be in the best interest of aviation in general if more publications were available for banner towing--not so much on how to do it, but on what to do, generally, if something goes wrong. Maybe suggesting to the FAA an advisory circular on matters such as this, specifically: tow line captures by gear, struts, etc; failures while towing banners; hazards of low level flight with banners in tow; etc. Maybe through cooperation and effort we can make a difference and save not only the reputation of banner towing and aviation, but possibly save lives, as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOWER MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG WHEN BANNER TOW LINE IS SNAGGED BY LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL TKOF FROM RWY 5, AND A NORMAL RELEASE OF THE GRAPPLING HOOK END OF MY 15' TOWING HOOK LINE, I ENTERED A RIGHT-HAND TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 5. THE TWR CLRED ME FOR 'BANNER OPERATION' WHILE ON MY DOWNWIND LEG. THE APCH FOR THE BANNER PICKUP WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER, WHEN I REACHED THE UPRIGHTS (SUPPORTING THE BANNER TOW LOOP LINE), MY MAIN GEAR CAPTURED THE TOW LINE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PICKUP, APPLYING PWR AND INITIATING A CLB. THE VIEW OF THE GEAR FROM THE SEAT OF THE ACFT IS LIMITED. CONSEQUENTLY, I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY COULD CONFIRM THAT THE ROPE WAS ATTACHED TO THE GEAR. THE TWR DID CONFIRM THIS, AS DID THE GND CREW MEMBER. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE CLB TO A SAFE ALT TO ASSESS THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT, AND BURN OFF FUEL. I ADVISED THE TWR OF MY INTENTIONS. I ALSO COMMUNICATED THAT BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE BANNER IN FLT, I WOULD BE FORCED TO LAND WITH THE BANNER IN TOW, REQUIRING AN EMER LNDG. I ESTIMATED I WOULD RETURN WITHIN 30 MINS. I FLEW THE PLANE N OF GROTON-NEW LONDON ARPT AND LEVELED OFF AT 1000' MSL. THE ACFT FLEW SAFELY AT THE NORMAL 60 MPH TOWING AIRSPD, ALTHOUGH IT REQUIRED FULL NOSE UP TRIM AND SOME BACK STICK PRESSURE. I JUDGED THIS TO BE CAUSED BY THE FORWARD LOCATION OF THE TOW LINE ATTACHMENT AND ITS PROX TO THE ACFT'S CENTER OF GRAVITY. SINCE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT IN THIS CONFIGN WERE UNKNOWN, I ELECTED TO REVERSE MY ORIGINAL DECISION AND RETURN TO LAND ASAP. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE TWR OF MY REVISED INTENTIONS AND DECLARED AN EMER, REQUESTING RESCUE TRACK ON THE FIELD. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND ADVISED ME TO RPT A LEFT BASE FOR RWY 5. I CONTINUED THE APCH, PERFORMING BOTH THE NORMAL AND EMER LNDG CHKLISTS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR AND INFORMED THAT RESCUE VEHS WERE STANDING BY. I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC AND CONTINUED THE APCH TO A SAFE LNDG. AS CONSISTENT WITH THE CHKLISTS ON SHORT FINAL, I SHUT OFF THE MASTER AND I PULLED THE MIXTURE JUST PRIOR TO T/D IN ORDER TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF ANY FURTHER DAMAGE OR FIRE. ONCE THE ACFT ROLLED TO A STOP, EMER CREWS RESPONDED AND INTERCEPTED THE ACFT ON THE RWY. I RPTED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK, AND THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ACFT/ENG. THE BANNER AND TOW LINE ALSO APPEARED UNDAMAGED. THE GND CREWMAN REMOVED THE BANNER AND TOW LINE FROM THE ACFT AND THE RWY. I THEN RESTARTED THE ACFT AND TAXIED TO PARKING. I HAVE 58 HRS OF BANNER TOW EXPERIENCE. WHEN I BEGAN TOWING I INVESTIGATED TO FIND ANY DOCUMENTATION ON BANNER TOW EMERS. ANY DOCUMENTATION I FOUND WAS MINIMAL AND NOT VERY DETAILED. IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES, PLT'S AND FAA'S, ARE THAT YOU MUST NOT BE VERY SMART IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU. HOWEVER, IN AN OPERATION SUCH AS THIS, THE POSSIBILITY IS ALWAYS THERE FOR SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE TO HAPPEN. BECAUSE I HAD RESEARCHED WHAT LITTLE INFO THERE WAS, AND WAS PREPARED FOR A POSSIBLE EMER MENTALLY, I BELIEVE I HANDLED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHE CALMLY AND CORRECTLY. I MUST ALSO ATTRIBUTE SOME CREDIT TO THE ACFT. THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS ARE NOT RESEARCHED FOR THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT, HOWEVER THE ACFT FLEW VERY WELL. I THINK IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF AVIATION IN GENERAL IF MORE PUBLICATIONS WERE AVAILABLE FOR BANNER TOWING--NOT SO MUCH ON HOW TO DO IT, BUT ON WHAT TO DO, GENERALLY, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG. MAYBE SUGGESTING TO THE FAA AN ADVISORY CIRCULAR ON MATTERS SUCH AS THIS, SPECIFICALLY: TOW LINE CAPTURES BY GEAR, STRUTS, ETC; FAILURES WHILE TOWING BANNERS; HAZARDS OF LOW LEVEL FLT WITH BANNERS IN TOW; ETC. MAYBE THROUGH COOPERATION AND EFFORT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND SAVE NOT ONLY THE REPUTATION OF BANNER TOWING AND AVIATION, BUT POSSIBLY SAVE LIVES, AS WELL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.