ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 42073
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| Date: | Sunday 20 October 1996 |
| Time: | 13:27 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 172A |
| Owner/operator: | Lanes Lebanon Air Services Inc |
| Registration: | N9890T |
| MSN: | 47690 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1960 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6275 hours |
| Engine model: | Franklin 6A-350-02 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lebanon, OH -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | , OH (I68) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The purpose of flight (flt) was to demonstrate tow release failure of a glider from a tow plane & to land under tow. The flt instructor (CFI) in the glider said the standard procedure for the tow plane was to depart with 10 deg of flaps & to turn left after takeoff. He said the tow pilot took off with 20 deg of flaps & made a right turn, then entered a steep turn to the left. Also, he said that during the steep turn, slack developed in the tow rope. The CFI tried to disconnect the tow rope, but was unable. The student said the rope became 'taught pulling up on the tow plane's tail.' The student then actuated the release; this time the rope released. The tow plane continued the left turn, nosed down, & struck the ground. The glider was landed uneventfully. Neither the tow plane nor the glider was equipped with a radio. Exam of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failure of the tow plane's flt controls or engine; 30 feet of tow rope was found attached to the tow plane, which had failed under tension. Two witnesses reported that the tow plt's hands always shook. One witness said his hands were shaking 'excessively' on the day of the accident. During toxicology tests, an undetermined amount of metoprolol was detected in the tow plt's blood & urine. Metoprolol is a medication that is frequently approved by the FAA for use by pilots with high blood pressure; drugs like metoprolol may also be used to treat a tremor.
Probable Cause: improper aircraft handling by the tow pilot and/or the glider pilots, which allowed the tow plane and glider to get out of position with one another; and failure of the aircrews (in both aircraft) to ensure a timely release of the glider tow rope.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB IAD97LA009
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 18:21 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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