What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider was being towed by N5213G, a Cessna acft when the two collided after takeoff, the pilot of N103VT has serious inj. And passenger has fatal inj;(.4) during takeoff for a glider tow operation, the towplane and the glider both became airborne. An FAA inspector witnessed the takeoff and said his attention was drawn to the 'erratic pitch changes' of the glider. The glider pilot's canopy was open, and the pilot repeatedly attempted to close the canopy. Pitch changes and climbs above the tow plane accompanied each attempt to close the canopy. As the towrope reached a vertical position, the towplane struck the ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The towrope separated, and the glider continued past the towplane, rolled left to an inverted position and impacted the ground. The towrope in use at the time of the accident employed a 'sweitzer ring' to attach at the tow plane and a 'tost ring' to attach at the glider. Both rings were attached to their respective airplanes and both release mechanisms were operational. According to the 1998 soaring flight manual sponsored by the soaring society of america: 'when the sailplane is too high, it can pull the tail of the towpla NE up, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the towplane to take off... If corrective action is not taken, the only alternative for the tow pilot is to release the towline...if for any reason, the sailplane pilot loses sight of the towplane, he should release immediately.' (-23) on October 5,1998, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 305A, N5213G, and a burkhart Grob G103C glider, N103VT, were destroyed after collision with terrain during takeoff from runway 04 at the Warren Sugarbush airport (0B7), Warren, Vermont. The certificated commercial pilot in the Cessna received minor injuries. In the Grob, the certificated commercial pilot received serious injuries and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local sightseeing flight that originated at 0B7, at 1430. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The airplanes were involved in a glider tow operation. The glider pilot was to provide a sightseeing tour of the seasonal foliage to the passenger.
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER WAS BEING TOWED BY N5213G, A CESSNA ACFT WHEN THE TWO COLLIDED AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OF N103VT HAS SERIOUS INJ. AND PASSENGER HAS FATAL INJ;(.4) DURING TAKEOFF FOR A GLIDER TOW OPERATION, THE TOWPLANE AND THE GLIDER BOTH BECAME AIRBORNE. AN FAA INSPECTOR WITNESSED THE TAKEOFF AND SAID HIS ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO THE 'ERRATIC PITCH CHANGES' OF THE GLIDER. THE GLIDER PILOT'S CANOPY WAS OPEN, AND THE PILOT REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE CANOPY. PITCH CHANGES AND CLIMBS ABOVE THE TOW PLANE ACCOMPANIED EACH ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE CANOPY. AS THE TOWROPE REACHED A VERTICAL POSITION, THE TOWPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND, NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE TOWROPE SEPARATED, AND THE GLIDER CONTINUED PAST THE TOWPLANE, ROLLED LEFT TO AN INVERTED POSITION AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE TOWROPE IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT EMPLOYED A 'SWEITZER RING' TO ATTACH AT THE TOW PLANE AND A 'TOST RING' TO ATTACH AT THE GLIDER. BOTH RINGS WERE ATTACHED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE AIRPLANES AND BOTH RELEASE MECHANISMS WERE OPERATIONAL. ACCORDING TO THE 1998 SOARING FLIGHT MANUAL SPONSORED BY THE SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA: 'WHEN THE SAILPLANE IS TOO HIGH, IT CAN PULL THE TAIL OF THE TOWPLA NE UP, MAKING IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, FOR THE TOWPLANE TO TAKE OFF... IF CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NOT TAKEN, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TOW PILOT IS TO RELEASE THE TOWLINE...IF FOR ANY REASON, THE SAILPLANE PILOT LOSES SIGHT OF THE TOWPLANE, HE SHOULD RELEASE IMMEDIATELY.' (-23) ON OCTOBER 5,1998, AT 1430 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 305A, N5213G, AND A BURKHART GROB G103C GLIDER, N103VT, WERE DESTROYED AFTER COLLISION WITH TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 04 AT THE WARREN SUGARBUSH AIRPORT (0B7), WARREN, VERMONT. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT IN THE CESSNA RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. IN THE GROB, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT 0B7, AT 1430. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANES WERE INVOLVED IN A GLIDER TOW OPERATION. THE GLIDER PILOT WAS TO PROVIDE A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF THE SEASONAL FOLIAGE TO THE PASSENGER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.