tow rope brake practice crash, what can we learn...

On 7/11/2011 5:38 PM, wrote:
On July 7, 2011 at Nowy Targ in southern Poland, glider Puchacz
crashed during training flight 2/3 mile from the airport. The
instructor (~64-67) and the student pilot (~18-19) are dead. It was a
tow rope brake practice flight with down wind turn for down wind
landing from about 130-150 m of altitude (400 feet).
What can we learn from this?
Are these training flights mendatory under FAA rules?
Can pilot request opt-out from "rope brake" during Biennial Flight
Review to avoid getting killed?
I remember once during BFR the instructor pulled the release on me in
the Blanik at about 200 feet, I had to do 180 turn and land down wind
from very low altitude. I think it was dangerous and unnecessary even
for an experienced pilot as me. Andre

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/regionalne...wiadomosc.html
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomos...wym_Targu.html

While there will be some interesting discussions about the
safety/usefulness of this type of emergency training, I've recently
become a fan. Last weekend we had the a Pawnee suddenly become a glider
when the engine seized at 800' on tow. Fortunately, we had a well
trained glider pilot in the tow plane, and he made a successful 180 to
downwind dead-stick landing. The glider flew a full pattern to normal
landing.

We are grateful that 2 pilots well-trained in emergency procedures had
such a successful and safe outcome.

On Jul 12, 6:06*pm, glider LT wrote:
On 7/11/2011 5:38 PM, wrote:





On July 7, 2011 at Nowy Targ in southern Poland, glider Puchacz
crashed during training flight 2/3 mile from the airport. The
instructor (~64-67) and the student pilot (~18-19) are dead. *It was a
tow rope brake practice flight with down wind turn for down wind
landing from about 130-150 m of altitude (400 feet).
What can we learn from this?
Are these training flights mendatory under FAA rules?
Can pilot request opt-out from "rope brake" during Biennial Flight
Review to avoid getting killed?
I remember once during BFR the instructor pulled the release on me in
the Blanik at about 200 feet, I had to do 180 turn and land down wind
from very low altitude. I think it was dangerous and unnecessary even
for an experienced pilot as me. Andre

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/regionalne...bowca-w-nowym-...
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomos...Szybowiec_rozb...

While there will be some interesting discussions about the
safety/usefulness of this type of emergency training, I've recently
become a fan. Last weekend we had the a Pawnee suddenly become a glider
when the engine seized at 800' on tow. Fortunately, we had a well
trained glider pilot in the tow plane, and he made a successful 180 to
downwind dead-stick landing. The glider flew a full pattern to normal
landing.

We are grateful that 2 pilots well-trained in emergency procedures had
such a successful and safe outcome.

I was towing in the Pawnee with a student pilot, solo, in the 2-33. I
experienced a strong vibration that appeared to generate from the
engine. We were climbing through about 150ft AGL, and climbing the
engine responding to the throttle but not reducing the vibration. I
kept the student on tow until 250 ft AGL and calmly called on the
radio, "call sign, release, release, release". The student pulled his
release and executed a perfect 180 to a downwind landing, I reduced
power, completed my own low downwind, watched him safely land and then
turned close in to land into the wind.

A safe outcome was never in doubt knowing the student had received the
training required. I just had to hope that the engine would hold
together for me to get the student to a safe return altitude.

I had a stuck valve on the Pawnee that received the proper maintenance
before continued towing.

T