Aero tow safety

I've personally had two near misses with this scenario and I have seen two
more just in the last 5 years. We need to make clear that if the tuggie
wants to abort on the runway, he should maintain speed and continue to the
end doing whatever neccessary to get out of the glider's way.

------------Copy from NTSB records----------------------------------

NTSB Identification: FTW82DA368A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 05, 1982 in KATY, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/5/1983
Aircraft: BELLANCA 8GCBC, registration: N4167Y
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
N4167Y, A BELLANCA 8GCBC, WAS BEING USED AS A GLIDER TOWPLANE. DURING THE
TAKEOFF RUN THE PILOT ABORTED BECAUSE HE FELT HE HAD INADEQUATE PERFORMANCE
FOR A NORMAL TOW. HE CONTINUED TO ROLL STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE CENTER LINE OF
A RELATIVELY NARROW TURF AIRSTRIP. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER STRUCK THE
RUDDER OF N4167Y, WHICH HAD SLOWED TO A STOP, AND THE GLIDER THEN SPUN TO
THE LEFT PASSING THE TOWCRAFT AND RUNNING INTO THE PROPELLER.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of
this accident as follows:

PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES..IMPROPER..PILOT IN COMMAND
ALL AVAILABLE RUNWAY..NOT USED..PILOT IN COMMAND

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill Daniels

I had the same experience a couple of years ago. The tug stopped just
after I became airborne. I dealt with it by moving slightly to one side,
catching the wingtip in the standing crop at the side of the runway,
performing the equivalent of a groundloop at about 1 ft above the
ground, and landing backwards. Bizarrely, no damage to the glider, my
student or me.

I'd like to say that the entire sequence was planned as my fallback
plan, but all I recall is thinking "(a) better to miss the tug, and (b)
once I've missed it I'll be pointing at the fuel bowser, but I'll worry
about that later." After that the world rotated rapidly and the ground
arrived. Those who land backwards will be pleased to know that the
ground run is very short (at least if you've lost energy by cutting crop
with a wingtip)which was fortunate, as by then I couldn't see the fuel
bowser.

I agree it would have been easier if the tug had rolled on rather than
stopping but hindsight is a very exact science. The advice, "Hit the
softest thing around if you have to hit something" is also worth
remembering for the glider pilot.

Bill Daniels wrote:
I've personally had two near misses with this scenario and I have seen two
more just in the last 5 years. We need to make clear that if the tuggie
wants to abort on the runway, he should maintain speed and continue to the
end doing whatever neccessary to get out of the glider's way.

------------Copy from NTSB records----------------------------------

NTSB Identification: FTW82DA368A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 05, 1982 in KATY, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/5/1983
Aircraft: BELLANCA 8GCBC, registration: N4167Y
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
N4167Y, A BELLANCA 8GCBC, WAS BEING USED AS A GLIDER TOWPLANE. DURING THE
TAKEOFF RUN THE PILOT ABORTED BECAUSE HE FELT HE HAD INADEQUATE PERFORMANCE
FOR A NORMAL TOW. HE CONTINUED TO ROLL STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE CENTER LINE OF
A RELATIVELY NARROW TURF AIRSTRIP. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER STRUCK THE
RUDDER OF N4167Y, WHICH HAD SLOWED TO A STOP, AND THE GLIDER THEN SPUN TO
THE LEFT PASSING THE TOWCRAFT AND RUNNING INTO THE PROPELLER.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of
this accident as follows:

PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES..IMPROPER..PILOT IN COMMAND
ALL AVAILABLE RUNWAY..NOT USED..PILOT IN COMMAND

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill Daniels