ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39998
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 11 May 1995 |
| Time: | 14:20 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee |
| Owner/operator: | Baboquivari Soaring School Inc |
| Registration: | N7403Z |
| MSN: | 25-3369 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6126 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-BZC5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Peoria, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | (AZ05) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A WITNESS STATED THAT THE TOW PLANE ENCOUNTERED A 'DUST DEVIL' BETWEEN 100 AND 200 FEET AGL. HE THEN SAW THE GLIDER ENCOUNTER THE 'DUST DEVIL' AND GAIN ALTITUDE ABOVE THE TOW PLANE UNTIL THE TOW ROPE FORMED A 30- TO 45-DEGREE ANGLE. THE NOSE OF THE TOW PLANE THEN DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. THE TOW ROPE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED AFT OF THE TOW PLANE TOW RING. THE ROPE, WITH THE TOW RING ATTACHED, WAS LOCATED NEAR THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE ROPE, WITH THE GLIDER TOW RING ATTACHED, WAS FOUND BACK ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. AN INSPECTION OF THE TOW PLANE HOOK RELEASE MECHANISM FOUND IT TO BE IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE MECHANISM OPENED ON IMPACT BASED ON THE SEPARATION OF THE TOW ROPE AND THE PROXIMITY OF THE ROPE TO THE TOW PLANE HOOK, AS WELL AS THE APPARENT SNAP BACK OF THE REMAINDER OF THE ROPE AWAY FROM THE CRASH SITE.
Probable Cause: the pilot's inflight loss of control due to his delay in releasing the glider after the towed glider experienced an unplanned altitude gain on takeoff when it encountered a dust devil.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX95LA183
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 15:11 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation