What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider snagged ground cable on takeoff, gained altitude, attempted to make 180 turn, crashed in a corn field. (.4)the pilot and passenger of the glider were towed by a Cessna 182 from the right side of the 2,435 foot long grass runway. A winch cable was lying in the grass, parallel to the runway, extending from a glider winch truck. A witness saw the glider approximately 300 feet from the end of the runway with the winch cable hanging from the nose area of the glider. At an altitude of 40 to 50 feet above the ground, the glider pilot realized the glider had caught the winch cable, and released the tow line. The tow line and the winch cable dropped from the glider, and the glider pilot executed a turn to the left. The left wing of the glider came in contact with standing corn stalks, the glider rotated around the left wing tip and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he discussed the presence of the cable with the airport manager, and the takeoff seemed normal except that it took a little longer to get airborne. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the with glider.
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER SNAGGED GROUND CABLE ON TAKEOFF, GAINED ALTITUDE, ATTEMPTED TO MAKE 180 TURN, CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD. (.4)THE PILOT AND PASSENGER OF THE GLIDER WERE TOWED BY A CESSNA 182 FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE 2,435 FOOT LONG GRASS RUNWAY. A WINCH CABLE WAS LYING IN THE GRASS, PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY, EXTENDING FROM A GLIDER WINCH TRUCK. A WITNESS SAW THE GLIDER APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE WINCH CABLE HANGING FROM THE NOSE AREA OF THE GLIDER. AT AN ALTITUDE OF 40 TO 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE GLIDER PILOT REALIZED THE GLIDER HAD CAUGHT THE WINCH CABLE, AND RELEASED THE TOW LINE. THE TOW LINE AND THE WINCH CABLE DROPPED FROM THE GLIDER, AND THE GLIDER PILOT EXECUTED A TURN TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER CAME IN CONTACT WITH STANDING CORN STALKS, THE GLIDER ROTATED AROUND THE LEFT WING TIP AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DISCUSSED THE PRESENCE OF THE CABLE WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER, AND THE TAKEOFF SEEMED NORMAL EXCEPT THAT IT TOOK A LITTLE LONGER TO GET AIRBORNE. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE WITH GLIDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.