ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69897
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| Date: | Saturday 24 July 1993 |
| Time: | 15:50 LT |
| Type: |  LET L-13 Blaník |
| Owner/operator: | St. Clair, Lavern D. |
| Registration: | N48069 |
| MSN: | 026129 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2102 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Durango, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (CD82) |
| (CD82) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
BOTH THE GLIDER AND TOW PLANE PILOTS AGREED THAT IF THE GLIDER WAS AIRBORNE BY MIDFIELD, THE GLIDER PILOT WOULD RELEASE THE TOW. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL AND THE GLIDER WAS AIRBORNE BEFORE MIDFIELD. THE TOW PLANE PILOT, HOWEVER, ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST OR SHEAR THAT LIFTED THE TOW PLANE, THEN CAUSED IT TO SETTLE TO THE GROUND. HE SENSED HE WAS NOT ACCELERATING AND GAINING ALTITUDE AS HE SHOULD. HE RELEASED THE TOW LINE. THE GLIDER PILOT FOLLOWED THE TOW PLANE TO MAINTAIN PROPER TOW POSITION. AS THE TOW PLANE CLIMBED OUT, HE REALIZED HE HAD BEEN RELEASED AND SAW HIS AIRSPEED DETERIORATING. THE RIGHT WING BEGAN TO STALL AND DROP. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT, BUT THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE RAILING OF AN OBSERVATION DECK. THE TOW PLANE PILOT SAID HE FAILED TO WARN THE GLIDER PILOT ABOUT THE TOW RELEASE BECAUSE HE ASSUMED HE WOULD SEE AND FEEL THE RELEASE, AND HE DID NOT WANT TO DISTRACT HIM FROM FLYING AND GLIDER.
Probable Cause: THE FAILURE OF THE TOW PLANE PILOT TO WARN THE GLIDER PILOT THAT HE WAS RELEASING THE TOW LINE. A FACTOR WAS: AN INADVERTENT STALL BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN93LA085
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Nov-2009 11:46 | DColclasure | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 12:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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