What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)With the owner at the flight controls, the experimental homebuilt glider was under tow to take it to another airport. Witnesses reported that about 1 minute after departure, the glider entered into a series of divergent pitch oscillations which terminated in a near vertical dive into a field. The tow rope separated during the oscillations. According to an FAA report, '...the rod end of the elevator/aileron control stick was found pulled out of push rod. The meal casing that the rod end fitted into was crushed. The rod end contained 1 fastener (rivet) core with signs of fretting and scoring, with the remaining attaching fastener core missing....' The last annual inspection was performed in August 1995. The glider was operated on an FAA special flight permit, which required either an inspection by an aircraft mechanic or a repair shop before the flight. No record of the inspection was found by the FAA inspectors. (-23) departed runway 30 normal tow operation, during climb out glider could not maintain in tow position, tow rope broke 1-2 feet from glider connection. Glider encountered 3 porpoise maneuvers with the last impacting the ground wings level, slightly less than vertical position. Glider destroyed, pilot fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)WITH THE OWNER AT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT GLIDER WAS UNDER TOW TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER DEPARTURE, THE GLIDER ENTERED INTO A SERIES OF DIVERGENT PITCH OSCILLATIONS WHICH TERMINATED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DIVE INTO A FIELD. THE TOW ROPE SEPARATED DURING THE OSCILLATIONS. ACCORDING TO AN FAA REPORT, '...THE ROD END OF THE ELEVATOR/AILERON CONTROL STICK WAS FOUND PULLED OUT OF PUSH ROD. THE MEAL CASING THAT THE ROD END FITTED INTO WAS CRUSHED. THE ROD END CONTAINED 1 FASTENER (RIVET) CORE WITH SIGNS OF FRETTING AND SCORING, WITH THE REMAINING ATTACHING FASTENER CORE MISSING....' THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED IN AUGUST 1995. THE GLIDER WAS OPERATED ON AN FAA SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT, WHICH REQUIRED EITHER AN INSPECTION BY AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC OR A REPAIR SHOP BEFORE THE FLIGHT. NO RECORD OF THE INSPECTION WAS FOUND BY THE FAA INSPECTORS. (-23) DEPARTED RUNWAY 30 NORMAL TOW OPERATION, DURING CLIMB OUT GLIDER COULD NOT MAINTAIN IN TOW POSITION, TOW ROPE BROKE 1-2 FEET FROM GLIDER CONNECTION. GLIDER ENCOUNTERED 3 PORPOISE MANEUVERS WITH THE LAST IMPACTING THE GROUND WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHTLY LESS THAN VERTICAL POSITION. GLIDER DESTROYED, PILOT FATALLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.