19960206005209I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Scwzer SGS 1-36 · Warner Springs, CA · February 6, 1996

Date: February 6, 1996 · 14:10 local
Place: Warner Springs, CA
Airport: Warner Springs Airport
Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N36148
Reported as: Scwzer SGS136
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 55 total5 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N36148Registered now · Schweizer SGS 1-36S/N 3 · Built 1980 Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 1-36 Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: Mr. Maas provided the following information, in a telephone conversation with inspector park, at approximately 1530 PDT, on 02/06/96: Mr. Maas lost directional control of the glider, during takeoff, while being rope-towed by another aircraft. The control problems began almost immediately during the takeoff roll, as the glider slewed, side to side, behind the tow aircraft. After lift-off, at about 20 feet, AGL, the glider ballooned, and yawed, and was "almost sideways" to the tow plane. At that point, Mr. Maas released the rope tow and attempted a landing back on the runway. He was unable to control the glider on rollout, resulting in departure from the runway. The glider struck a barbed wire fence, resulting in minor damage to the leading edge of the wing, and the canopy. Mr. Maas received minor cuts on his nose and left hand. Mr. Maas said the cause of the loss of control was his over-correcting and over-controlling during takeoff.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: MR. MAAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH INSPECTOR PARK, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 PDT, ON 02/06/96: MR. MAAS LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE GLIDER, DURING TAKEOFF, WHILE BEING ROPE-TOWED BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE CONTROL PROBLEMS BEGAN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AS THE GLIDER SLEWED, SIDE TO SIDE, BEHIND THE TOW AIRCRAFT. AFTER LIFT-OFF, AT ABOUT 20 FEET, AGL, THE GLIDER BALLOONED, AND YAWED, AND WAS "ALMOST SIDEWAYS" TO THE TOW PLANE. AT THAT POINT, MR. MAAS RELEASED THE ROPE TOW AND ATTEMPTED A LANDING BACK ON THE RUNWAY. HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE GLIDER ON ROLLOUT, RESULTING IN DEPARTURE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE GLIDER STRUCK A BARBED WIRE FENCE, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING, AND THE CANOPY. MR. MAAS RECEIVED MINOR CUTS ON HIS NOSE AND LEFT HAND. MR. MAAS SAID THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CONTROL WAS HIS OVER-CORRECTING AND OVER-CONTROLLING DURING TAKEOFF.