Fatal Towplane Accident 5-9-20

On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 8:29:13 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 5:46:22 PM UTC-4, Bob Youngblood wrote:
On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 4:36:21 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Great ideas all around. Install a rear view camera...reinvent the tow plane. Has anyone ever tried to get an A&P to invert the Schweizer hook or extend the release handle so it would be easily reachable? It seemed to me that it required an act of God and an amendment to the Constitution to accomplish something like this. Maybe I was just being put off...

I had to argue for the purchase of a mixture cable for a Pawnee. I guess if you have enough money and are willing to spend it you can accomplish anything. It remains to be seen how quickly the commercial operations will come back after this Chinese Communist Virus has decimated our economy. People might not be willing to take the chance of exposing themselves to others and exponentially increase their chances of becoming ill. Don't expect the commercial operation owners or the club members to make big expenditures under these circumstances.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot

Walt, this is getting abit crazy, next to come will be a ballistic charge that will explode and remove the tow assembly from the tow plane while ensuring the safety of all involved.

Bob, A ballistic parachute would be good too along with airbags inside the cockpit to protect the tow pilot and a fire suppression system activated on impact. And I remember having to get ****ed to have someone order a friggin' mixture cable.

I would never in a thousand years think that one would need to be concerned with an instructor pilot screwing up, I thought the squirrels were just old duffers and 15 year old kids with the light on but nobody home. Fact is that the poor guy in this instance didn't stand a chance at the altitude the glider kited. It wouldn't have made a bit of difference if he was flying the Yellow Gorilla, he still would have been doomed.

Still lots of tow pilots out there with Schweizer hooks with standard installation, releases down on the floor and oblivious to the danger in which they have put themselves. I know a lot of operations have made significant changes but still I'm afraid most have not, this is the way we have always done it, the old mantra.

Flying tow is fun, I enjoyed almost 3 years and 7000 tows but the guy or girl in back of you can be too unpredictable. I know I'll get a lot of crap for this but I really think a minimum flight physical needs to be required for glider pilots. Many have bad eyesight, hypertension, diabetes, things that could go wrong with them and might also kill the tow pilot. If it was just the glider pilot I would be okay but it's not just the glider pilot, the tow pilot's life is in the mix. When I can no longer get by my AME it will be time to stop flying.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow PIlot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot

Walt, I will get serious at this point and make a express my true feelings about increasing tow pilot safety. There is NOT enough emphasis during the training aspect and even in recurrent flight reviews on TOW PILOT SAFETY!! Expectations from the tow pilot are every bit or more important than the expectations from the instructor. Most instructors don't even fly both ends of the rope, have never been in a tow plane, and are required to accept minimum standards.
It was stated earlier that the instructor should test the student or recurrent training pilot and see if they fall for the distraction quiz. See if you as an instructor can distract the trainee enough to take their eyes off the tow plane and when they do quickly pull the release and when you land have a good conversation with all three involved stressing the importance of their responsibility to keep things safe for all parties.
I encourage all tow pilots to communicate to glider pilot whether it be a student or a seasoned veteran what your expectations are, including utilization of a good checklist.

"I encourage all tow pilots to communicate to glider pilot whether it be a student or a seasoned veteran what your expectations are, including utilization of a good checklist."

Good idea Bob. I remember going to someone who had returned from a long soaring session to ask him what happened on his tow. At about 400 feet it appeared he had forgotten he was on tow for some reason and I found my tail being jerked hard to one side. It was a rather exciting recovery and he almost got the rope. I was polite, well polite for me. His response was that he needed to adjust his condom catheter, his PENIS was in pain. My response was that the ONLY thing he needed to do was keep his eyes on me and stay in position to which he began to gesture violently and brush me off. What I should have done was tell him that if he wanted a tow again he would have to get it on a day someone else was flying tow. He was a very experienced pilot, a much older guy, a retired physician and as someone who spent much my life working with physicians as a technologist or high end medical sales I can tell you that they know more than anyone, including things other than medicine. At least they want you to think such.

Tow pilots should have the option to not tow anyone who has demonstrated an inability to exercise proper decision making.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow PIlot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot

Yes Bob I know the type. What I probable would have done if I didn’t dump him on tow, was go up to him and give that catheter tube a good yank! That might have gotten his head out of hid ass more effectively.
Dan

Kiting and loss of control of the glider on tow happens more than is known. There are not accurate statistics or data tracked so most of the information is anecdotal or comes after a tragedy.

We are, as a community, extremely challenged by our aversion to checklist, cockpit and single pilot resource management as well as Aeronautical Decision Making. This can be traced partially to poor training, inconsistent procedures and lack of discipline. Attitudes matter.

Look at the shared risk pool, the high and climbing insurance costs, the accidents over the last years, the hazardous attitudes, diminished expectations as well as the sport in decline.

Same types of accidents at very high per-capita rates. Technology solutions may help but until the sport makes a concerted, coherent and consistent full court press the trends will continue. Not hard to predict the future here.

Regards, Tom

Kiting and loss of control of the glider on tow happens more than is known. There are not accurate statistics or data tracked so most of the information is anecdotal or comes after a tragedy.

We are, as a community, extremely challenged by our aversion to checklists, right cockpit discipline and good single pilot resource management as well as incorporating effective Aeronautical Decision Making. This can be traced partially to poor training, inconsistent procedures and lack of discipline. Attitudes matter.

Look at the shared risk pool, the high and climbing insurance costs, the accidents over the last years, the hazardous attitudes, diminished expectations as well as the sport in decline.

Same types of accidents at very high per-capita rates. Technology solutions may help but until the sport makes a concerted, coherent and consistent full court press the trends will continue. Not hard to predict the future here.

Regards, Tom