What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landed in field to tow out glider. Glider pilot released tow relanded. 182 caught unaware pitched up dove to impact. (.4) after an off airport landing, the glider pilot called for assistance. A certificated flight instructor (CFI) drove to the site to assess towing the glider from the field. The CFI estimated the field to be 1,000 feet long, butted up against a corn field. After landing, the tow pilot and the glider pilot agreed the field was long enough. With one notch of flaps set, loaded with a quarter tank of fuel in both wing tanks and utilizing a shorter tow rope, the tow airplane accelerated with the engine producing full power. The glider was airborne halfway across the field, but released when the glider pilot saw the tow airplane approaching the corn field. After the glider released, the tow airplane pitched nose-up, and the tow pilot last remembered pushing forward on the yoke. The airplane came to rest in a vertical, nose down attitude, against small trees at the bottom of a ravine. Corn stalks, about 4 feet high, contained a cut area the width of the airplane's elevator. Pieces of corn stalks were found lodged between the airplane's stabilator and elevator. No mechanical malfunctions were found in the airframe or engine. (-23) Mr. Binder, the pilot of N9977B, attempted to launch a glider by towing it in a farmer's field with his CE-182. Approaching the end of the field the glider pilot realized they would not make it and disconnected from the tow plane. The tow plane flew for approximately another 300 ft and came to rest in a tree.
As the FAA filed it
LANDED IN FIELD TO TOW OUT GLIDER. GLIDER PILOT RELEASED TOW RELANDED. 182 CAUGHT UNAWARE PITCHED UP DOVE TO IMPACT. (.4) AFTER AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING, THE GLIDER PILOT CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) DROVE TO THE SITE TO ASSESS TOWING THE GLIDER FROM THE FIELD. THE CFI ESTIMATED THE FIELD TO BE 1,000 FEET LONG, BUTTED UP AGAINST A CORN FIELD. AFTER LANDING, THE TOW PILOT AND THE GLIDER PILOT AGREED THE FIELD WAS LONG ENOUGH. WITH ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS SET, LOADED WITH A QUARTER TANK OF FUEL IN BOTH WING TANKS AND UTILIZING A SHORTER TOW ROPE, THE TOW AIRPLANE ACCELERATED WITH THE ENGINE PRODUCING FULL POWER. THE GLIDER WAS AIRBORNE HALFWAY ACROSS THE FIELD, BUT RELEASED WHEN THE GLIDER PILOT SAW THE TOW AIRPLANE APPROACHING THE CORN FIELD. AFTER THE GLIDER RELEASED, THE TOW AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE-UP, AND THE TOW PILOT LAST REMEMBERED PUSHING FORWARD ON THE YOKE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A VERTICAL, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AGAINST SMALL TREES AT THE BOTTOM OF A RAVINE. CORN STALKS, ABOUT 4 FEET HIGH, CONTAINED A CUT AREA THE WIDTH OF THE AIRPLANE'S ELEVATOR. PIECES OF CORN STALKS WERE FOUND LODGED BETWEEN THE AIRPLANE'S STABILATOR AND ELEVATOR. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND IN THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. (-23) MR. BINDER, THE PILOT OF N9977B, ATTEMPTED TO LAUNCH A GLIDER BY TOWING IT IN A FARMER'S FIELD WITH HIS CE-182. APPROACHING THE END OF THE FIELD THE GLIDER PILOT REALIZED THEY WOULD NOT MAKE IT AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE TOW PLANE. THE TOW PLANE FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 300 FT AND CAME TO REST IN A TREE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.