NTSB says pilot didn’t need to dump banner ahead of plane crash near Cross Keys Airport

Pilot error caused a banner airplane to crash last year near a South Jersey airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

An NTSB report says Robert Wiegand, 62, made an incorrect decision to release a banner trailing behind his two-seater aircraft during takeoff from Cross Keys Airport on Sept. 14, 2023.

The professional pilot was severely injured when his plane stalled, then crashed through branches before hitting the ground.

The plane, a Cessna 150G, ended with its nose against the ground and its tail pointing upward.

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Skies were clear and weather was calm when the crash occurred about 4:10 p.m. near the Williamstown airport, the report says.

The report said the plane had a "normal takeoff," and Wiegand succeed in picking the banner for his planned flight.But it says his plane drifted to the left, and Wiegand corrected toward his right.

After the banner cleared trees in the area, Wiegand disengaged it.

The aircraft then pitched upward, the right wing dropped and the plane went into a 180-degree spin toward the right into the trees, according to the report.

"The aircraft was climbing and well above the trees" when the accident occurred, the report says.

"(The) banner did not need to be disengaged and the flight could have resumed as normal," it continues.

The Feb. 22 report also says Wiegand could have taken measures to prevent the stall after the banner disengaged.

Wiegand, a Virginia resident, had 320 hours flying aircraft that were the make and model of the banner plane, according to the report.

The plane, built in 1967, had no mechanical problems, according to the report.

It had been last inspected four months before the accident.

The plane's owner, High Exposure Inc. of Wilmington, could not be reached for immediate comment.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NTSB releases report on banner plane crash near Cross Keys Airport