TOW PLANE Accident

On Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 10:54:25 AM UTC-4, Ernst wrote:
On Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 11:24:28 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:

This an important discussion and I can agree with a lot of the statements being made.
But I also get the feeling that there is some resignation. These are preventable accidents as longs as there are no mechanical or pilot incapacitation issues.

In response to some of Evan’s statements:
The Skyline accident is an outlier.
Unfortunately, no.

Video evidence shows that the glider deck angle never gets out of normal limits.
Yes, but there was no recording when the glider got out of normal tow position, because the camera was off and the PIC got distracted checking on it and switching it on again.

It was not a kiting event.
You can quickly get out of normal tow position without “kiting�.

The fact is, these accidents are rare.
Unfortunately, no.

Here is a list of tow plane upset accidents from the NTSB database going back to 2000 (which I could find):

26 Apr 2002, PA 18-150, SGS 2-33, USAFA, Colorado Springs, CO (DEN02GA039)
[Please go to the docket and read the PIC’s written testimony.]

21 Aug 2011, Callair A-9B, SGS 2-33, Marshall, MI (CEN11LA585)
[Tragically, the PIC of the glider was killed in a crash with his Quickie Q200 two months later.]

6 Sep 2014, PA 25-235, SGS 2-33, Warner Springs, CA (WPR14LA367)

As with Walt’s incidents, there are certainly more tow plane upsets that are not ending in a disaster and are never reported. I am aware of a CA 150-150 being pulled nose down by a transition glider pilot with only few solo flights in a glider. The tow pilot could not release the Schweizer hook, the tow rope broke and the tow pilot was able to pull out with only a few hundred feet left.
It was also a SGS 2-33. While I agree that the 2-33 requires a lot of elevator push down on tow, this can’t be the root cause for such events. As with the two accidents discussed here, it happens with other gliders types as well.
The PIC of a glider in tow has to be able to stay consistently in the normal tow position. Flawlessly boxing the wake, not only on a quiet morning or evening, is a good indicator if you can handle abnormal tow positions. And no distractions from cameras, flight computers, passengers, canopy opening, objects falling down and so on, especially below 1,000 ft.

Ernst


Ernst, I agree with your comments, these accidents are preventable in the circumstances as you stated. I was well aware of the USAFA accident, I referenced this in a recent contentious discussion. I was astonished that the instructor, an Academy student and CFIG with "100 flights total" would think that with the tow plane directly below them and with a "taught" rope she could raise the nose slightly, slow up and allow him to recover his position. I HAVE NO WORDS. So much for the "brightest of the bright" as I was told they were while I was a member of the USAF.

I spent 10 years as a Nuclear Cardiovascular Technologist working closely with Cardiologists and have performed hundreds of Thallium stress tests. I had the opportunity recently to have breakfast with a retired cardiologist/friend, he read the autopsy record of the tow pilot in this case and said he would not be surprised that he might have had some sort of incapacitation in the seat as was noted in the report. As a private pilot he was surprised that someone with that cardiovascular history would have a medical certificate of any class. I can attest to the fact that having a glider KITE on you at a low altitude is a very shocking event and someone with a compromised cardiovascular system such as this individual might well become incapacitated even without evidence of a MI. This condition does not excuse the fact that this "instructor" failed to react properly and release immediately.

Your acknowledgement of the lack of video between the time the first video ended and the second one started is well taken but unfortunately the NTSB has only that to go on. I was impressed by the technical evaluation of the video that was available. Again, the idea that the tow pilot may have had an incapacitating event which my cardiologist friend said was "possible" (he thought a syncopal event was likely) from what he read does not excuse, here again another "instructor" looking away at a low altitude and failing to release immediately when he realized the position of the tow plane regardless of whose fault it might have been.

As I have previously noted I've experience two VERY SUDDEN kiting events, one at about 300-350 feet and one at 2000 feet. In the 300 foot event the student pilot failed to release when it should have been more than obvious to do so. I experienced the well known and documented condition (in big RED letters in the SSA/SSF documents) of the Schweizer release failure. The rope broke, I recovered at tree top level and the student managed to fly back to the runway. When I asked her what happened she was at a total loss for an answer. I've also had a commercial pilot add on student get seriously high on me at about 700 feet in a pattern tow, we hit a strong thermal and instead of staying in position with me he rode it up. I was not quite out of control but i did reach for the handle and look up into the mirror, all I could see was the bottom of his glider, no way he could have seen me. He should have released, he did not. It took several seconds for him to get the idea and descended and in doing so jerked me hard sideways producing a highly audible harmonic throughout the tow plane. I managed to maintain control, get him to the release point where he released. I landed and told his instrucor 'that was the worst tow I've ever experienced." He was obviously unaware of the requirement to release when he lost sight of the tow plane. I asked him to "tell me about that tow." He said he thought I was going to "fly up to him."

This and many other events (including my own glider training and I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for the two CFIGs from whom I learned to fly) makes me wonder if the process of telling a student to release when they lose sight of the tow plane is adequate. I remember being told "if we lose sight of the tow plane we release." I heard it a couple of times, it might have hit home more effectively if I had been told why? Althought some might intuitively understand why it is obvious to me that many do not. We practice rope breaks, why is there not some sort of practice for the loss of visual on the tow plane? (que the instructors who will say this is always part of their curriculum on every training flight) It could be incorporated into the rope brake training and I am NOT suggesting the instructor kite the glider on low tow to see what the student does, rather perhaps a startled voice at 500 feet yelling "you've just lost sight of the tow plane." If "instructors" aren't reacting quickly and appropriately, how can one expect students to do so?

I submit that every soaring event should include a reminder to the participants of this potential condition every day. When you lose sight of the tow plane...RELEASE. It should be the mantra over every glider operation.

I'm willing to bet that this might make a few CFIGs become more aware of this aspect of instruction. I'm additionally willing to bet that some will just dismiss my admonitions.

Any circumstance that might lead to the death of a tow pilot needs to be taken seriously. Any tow pilot who takes these circumstances lightly needs to rethink their position. Even with Tost releases or inverted Schweizer hooks and handles immediately available to the tow pilot in the upright, seated position, things can happen so fast that the end result will not be positive. If it's below 200 feet.....well I'm sure most of you can assume the outcome.

Fly safe my friends

Walt Connelly
FORMER Tow Pilot
7000 tows