Unsafe landing halts glider event


[Photo unavailable] - DAVE IMAN III -
Udo Rumpf of Ontario, Canada, prepares his gliding plane to be put in
its trailer. The Floyd D. Bennett Warren County Airport manager
canceled the last two days of gliding after he witnessed what he felt
was a careless landing by a plane that had been towing gliders into the
sky.

By DAVID IMAN II


Published on 9/1/2006
Local News
THE POST-STAR

QUEENSBURY * Airport officials say one incident of careless flying
Thursday forced them to cancel the last two days of a gliding
competition at the Floyd D. Bennett Warren County Airport -- a move
that had contest organizers saying they'll never hold the event in
Warren County again.

The Soaring Society of America has been running its 2006 Region III
Soaring Championship at the Warren County airport since Sunday. It was
supposed to finish the competition Saturday, according to the contest's
Web site.

A small, single-engine plane, which had been towing gliders into the
air, landed in grass next to a runway where a larger, corporate
jet-style plane was taking off, said Airport Manager Marshall B.
Stevens.

Stevens said from the air control tower, he saw the two planes, going
in opposite directions, pass each other about 200 feet apart.

"We witnessed what we believe was an unsafe event," Stevens said. "We
did speak with the FAA about it and they concurred."

He said the larger plane was still on the ground and the tow plane was
close to landing when they passed each other.

The tow plane's pilot was at fault, he said, as only one aircraft
should occupy the landing area at a time.

Contest Director Tim Hanke would not release the tow plane pilot's name
and Stevens did not know it.

Contest officials say it happened differently.

The larger plane had already taken off and begun a left turn when the
tow plane began to land, said Tom MacJarrett, contest manager, who saw
the incident from the field.

MacJarrett said FAA regulations are open to interpretation and that
often the angle you view an incident from determines your assessment of
it.

"As far as I can see, it was safe operation," MacJarrett said.

But MacJarrett also said he would have backed off, because the airport
staff lacks experience with the high level of traffic created by the
competition.

Since the airport lacks an air traffic controller, pilots are
responsible for coordinating their landings with other planes seeking
to take off or land, Stevens said.

The jet and tow plane were in constant radio communication and knew
what the other was doing, said MacJarrett, who monitored the airport's
main radio frequency during the competition.

Witness Martha Schade of Toronto, the wife of a contestant, said the
larger plane had taken off before the tow plane landed.

"No big deal; it's a busy airport," she said.

Before announcing the competition's end, Stevens said he allowed the
few planes that had yet to launch Thursday to take their turns in the
air.

Hanke plans to reimburse the 65 contestants $50 of their $200
registration fees and said he's unable to cancel a $30-per-plate
banquet planned for tonight.

"Goodbye, Glens Falls. I'll never come here again," said contestant Udo
Rumpf, as he began to disassemble his glider.

He and his wife, Linda Rumpf, from Ontario, Canada, said they've
enjoyed the Glens Falls area, adding it offered a lot to do after the
flying was finished.

Contestant Jim Rizzo said he'll probably be back to fly.

"It's bad for both sides," the glider from Rochester said. "There are a
lot of corporate pilots here and it may affect their business."

Stevens said members of the society had talked about suing the airport.


Hanke said they need to determine damages before deciding whether to
take legal action to recoup losses.

Article ID No. 234864

Stewart Kissel wrote:
I read a mention from a Tom Knauff newsletter, and
the saw a description on the SSA racing tab. Sounds
like a first, a contest getting booted.