ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 355251
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| Date: | Sunday 14 September 1997 |
| Time: | 17:45 LT |
| Type: | Aviastroitel AC-4B |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3021 |
| MSN: | 23 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sundance, WY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A glider launch was being conducted, using a vehicle tow and a mechanical advantage/pulley arrangement. During the launch, the tow rope became snagged on vegetation (alfalfa crop stuble), then slack developed in the tow rope as the rope came loose from the stuble. When slack was taken up, it 'jerked' the glider, which pitched up. The pilot released the tow rope, but the glider settled (stall) and rolled approximately 25 degrees left wing down. The wing contacted the ground, and the glider spun around and came to rest facing backwards. This resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Probable Cause: improper planning/decision by the pilot, which led to a snag and sudden slack in the tow rope, and necessitated an aborted launch (emergency landing) after initial liftoff. This in turn led to an inadvertent stall, a wing drop, and the left wing tip dragging the ground. A factor relating to the accident was: the restricted movement of the tow rope after it became snagged on the crop stubble.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97LA349
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 09:55 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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