Towpilot fatality in Oregon

Jim Logajan wrote:
"Larry Goddard" wrote:
In looking at a video shot earlier in the day of a glider launch, it
appeared to me that the pawnee was not climbing very well...
Creswell elevation is only 540 feet. And the temperature only got up
to the low 70's that day.
http://www.kval.com/news/local/54613062.html

Yes - the climb angle does appear low - at least compared to last year
when we launched off an 1890 foot grass airstrip (OG48) with the same
tow plane and glider (but different tow pilot.) The asphalt airfield
(77S) you see in that video is 3100 feet.

I need to correct myself: the tow plane that crashed is _not_ the same one
that was used to tow the glider last year. The tow plane that I flew behind
last year was a Lycoming O-540 (235 HP) powered Pawnee. The tow plane in
the video is a Lycoming O-320 (160 HP) powered Pawnee. That is why the
takeoff looked "anemic" to me. My perception was colored by only seeing
tows behind the higher powered Pawnee. The takeoff in the video is normal
for that Pawnee.

Since I never got around to seeing any of the takeoffs at the new runway,
and because I recalled Scott telling me last fall that he was interested in
possibly buying the 235 HP Pawnee, I incorrectly assumed that he had bought
that one. Obviously I hadn't kept up to date.

Why can'ty you vultures just wait for the official accident report instead
of using unbased hypothesis and dragging it all out for the bereaved who
may also be reading this string ?

Shame on you

MW

At 21:37 27 August 2009, Jim Logajan wrote:
Jim Logajan wrote:
"Larry Goddard" wrote:
In looking at a video shot earlier in the day of a glider launch, it
appeared to me that the pawnee was not climbing very well...
Creswell elevation is only 540 feet. And the temperature only got up
to the low 70's that day.
http://www.kval.com/news/local/54613062.html

Yes - the climb angle does appear low - at least compared to last year
when we launched off an 1890 foot grass airstrip (OG48) with the same
tow plane and glider (but different tow pilot.) The asphalt airfield
(77S) you see in that video is 3100 feet.

I need to correct myself: the tow plane that crashed is _not_ the same
one

that was used to tow the glider last year. The tow plane that I flew
behind
last year was a Lycoming O-540 (235 HP) powered Pawnee. The tow plane in

the video is a Lycoming O-320 (160 HP) powered Pawnee. That is why the
takeoff looked "anemic" to me. My perception was colored by only seeing

tows behind the higher powered Pawnee. The takeoff in the video is normal

for that Pawnee.

Since I never got around to seeing any of the takeoffs at the new runway,

and because I recalled Scott telling me last fall that he was interested
in
possibly buying the 235 HP Pawnee, I incorrectly assumed that he had
bought
that one. Obviously I hadn't kept up to date.

I appears that the tow plane had mechanical problems, and, or had an
on board fire before landing in the grass field. This is preliminary
info. It appears the tug landed safely in a field but the pilot was
unable to get out in time. Scott was one of the nicest guys I've ever
met and will be greatly missed.

Gary Boggs

On Aug 27, 8:46*am, GARY BOGGS wrote:
I appears that the tow plane had mechanical problems, and, or had an
on board fire before landing in the grass field. *This is preliminary
info. *It appears the tug landed safely in a field but the pilot was
unable to get out in time. *Scott was one of the nicest guys I've ever
met and will be greatly missed.

Gary Boggs


According to one of the news articles, the glider pilot saw the tow
plane in distress at the time he released. What type of distress did
he observe

Nelson Funston