# Accident 19970816043479A: Piper PA25235, Hinckley, IL, August 16, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 1997, 14:00 local time
- Place: Hinckley, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7607° N, 88.6409° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7607&lon=-88.6409&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9781P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9781P-1998-04-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-25-235 (registry code 7102504, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235
- Reported engine: LYC O540*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total, 405 in this make and model, 131 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA261) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970816043479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST CONTROL ON GLIDER TOW CLIMB. GLIDER RELEASED LANDED OK. PA25 IMPACTED AND BURNED. (-23) ON AUGUST 18, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 CDT, PA-25-235, N9781PM PILOTED BY PIC TIMOTHY P. O'MEARA COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING CLIMB SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM HINCKLEY SOARING CENTER, HINCKLEY, IL (0C2).  N9781P WAS ENGAGED IN TOWING A GLIDER.  THE PILOT OF THE TOW PLANE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND N9781P WAS DESTROYED.  THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED WITH SUBMISSION OF THIS REPORT.                         (.4) THE PILOT OF THE TOW PLANE REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FT AGL, HE FELT A 'LARGE PULL' ON THE TAIL OF HIS AIRPLANE. HE LOOKED BACK AND SAW THE GLIDER WAS 'VERY HIGH AND OFF TO MY LEFT SIDE.' HE THEN FELT SLACK IN THE LINE AT WHICH TIME HE THOUGHT THE GLIDER WAS MOVING BACK INTO POSITION. AT AN ALTITUDE OF 100' TO 150' A 'VIOLENT JERK' OCCURRED AND THE TOW PLANE WAS FORCED INTO A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE TOW ROPE WAS RELEASED BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN THE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL IT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA261), Aug 16, 1997: Piper PA-25-235 (N9781P), Hinckley, IL, destroyed. Probable cause: the failure of the glider pilot to properly handle his airplane during the initial takeoff climb which resulted in the tow pilot's inability to maintain control of his airplane.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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