What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On December 3, 1999, about 1340 eastern standard time, a Maule MX-7-160, N9235N, registered to barry aviation, inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 glider tow flight, crashed during towing climb from north palm beach county airport, west palm beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The tow airplane received substantial damage and the glider released and was not damaged. The commerically-rated tow pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 15 minutes before the accident. According to the tow pilot, they were in their towed climb at about 2,800 feet AGL, when the glider pulled up and to the right, stalling the tow airplane. The tow entered a spin, the tow and the glider both released, and during the three-turn spin, the tow's engine quit. The pilot recovered from the spin at about 700 feet AGL, but did not have time to restart the engine. He performed a forced landing to swampy terrain overgrown with palmetto. (.4) the glider pilot stated that he could not get a towline rel ease at the prebriefed release altitude of 3,000 feet AGL, and kept trying until he did effect a release at about 1,200 feet AGL. The tow pilot stated that they were still in the towed climb at about 2,800 feet AGL, when he experienced an abrupt pull up to the right by the glider that caused a stall and spin of the tow airplane. The towline was finally released simultaneously at about 1,200 feet AGL, by both aircraft, and the glider made it back to the gliderport for a normal landing. The tow pilot recovered from the spin at about 700 feet AGL, but the engine quit running in the spin, and there was no time to get it restarted. The tow airplane performed a forced landing to a swamp area. (-23) pilot was towing a glider with an approved hook/release system. At approximately 2800 feet and in climb, the glider pilot claimed that he pulled the release, however, with the glider still attached to the tow plane the glider pilot initiated a right turning pull-up jerking up the tail of the tow plane and consequently, the nose went down vertically and caused the tow plane to enter a spin. At this time, the glider and tow plane pilots released the hooks. The tow plane spun about 3 turns, recovered at 700 ft AGL but did not regain engine power and had to crash land in swampy palmetto terrain. The glider landed back at the airport (n. palm beach county) without further incident. (-23 amendment) 3 months after the accident, the first signed statement by the glider pilot, through his lawyer, indicated that the glider pilot did not initiate a right turning pull-up but that the tow plane made a sharp diving turn to the left.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON DECEMBER 3, 1999, ABOUT 1340 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MAULE MX-7-160, N9235N, REGISTERED TO BARRY AVIATION, INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 GLIDER TOW FLIGHT, CRASHED DURING TOWING CLIMB FROM NORTH PALM BEACH COUNTY AIRPORT, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE TOW AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE GLIDER RELEASED AND WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE COMMERICALLY-RATED TOW PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE TOW PILOT, THEY WERE IN THEIR TOWED CLIMB AT ABOUT 2,800 FEET AGL, WHEN THE GLIDER PULLED UP AND TO THE RIGHT, STALLING THE TOW AIRPLANE. THE TOW ENTERED A SPIN, THE TOW AND THE GLIDER BOTH RELEASED, AND DURING THE THREE-TURN SPIN, THE TOW'S ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT RECOVERED FROM THE SPIN AT ABOUT 700 FEET AGL, BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO SWAMPY TERRAIN OVERGROWN WITH PALMETTO. (.4) THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT GET A TOWLINE REL EASE AT THE PREBRIEFED RELEASE ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET AGL, AND KEPT TRYING UNTIL HE DID EFFECT A RELEASE AT ABOUT 1,200 FEET AGL. THE TOW PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE STILL IN THE TOWED CLIMB AT ABOUT 2,800 FEET AGL, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED AN ABRUPT PULL UP TO THE RIGHT BY THE GLIDER THAT CAUSED A STALL AND SPIN OF THE TOW AIRPLANE. THE TOWLINE WAS FINALLY RELEASED SIMULTANEOUSLY AT ABOUT 1,200 FEET AGL, BY BOTH AIRCRAFT, AND THE GLIDER MADE IT BACK TO THE GLIDERPORT FOR A NORMAL LANDING. THE TOW PILOT RECOVERED FROM THE SPIN AT ABOUT 700 FEET AGL, BUT THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING IN THE SPIN, AND THERE WAS NO TIME TO GET IT RESTARTED. THE TOW AIRPLANE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A SWAMP AREA. (-23) PILOT WAS TOWING A GLIDER WITH AN APPROVED HOOK/RELEASE SYSTEM. AT APPROXIMATELY 2800 FEET AND IN CLIMB, THE GLIDER PILOT CLAIMED THAT HE PULLED THE RELEASE, HOWEVER, WITH THE GLIDER STILL ATTACHED TO THE TOW PLANE THE GLIDER PILOT INITIATED A RIGHT TURNING PULL-UP JERKING UP THE TAIL OF THE TOW PLANE AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE NOSE WENT DOWN VERTICALLY AND CAUSED THE TOW PLANE TO ENTER A SPIN. AT THIS TIME, THE GLIDER AND TOW PLANE PILOTS RELEASED THE HOOKS. THE TOW PLANE SPUN ABOUT 3 TURNS, RECOVERED AT 700 FT AGL BUT DID NOT REGAIN ENGINE POWER AND HAD TO CRASH LAND IN SWAMPY PALMETTO TERRAIN. THE GLIDER LANDED BACK AT THE AIRPORT (N. PALM BEACH COUNTY) WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. (-23 AMENDMENT) 3 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE FIRST SIGNED STATEMENT BY THE GLIDER PILOT, THROUGH HIS LAWYER, INDICATED THAT THE GLIDER PILOT DID NOT INITIATE A RIGHT TURNING PULL-UP BUT THAT THE TOW PLANE MADE A SHARP DIVING TURN TO THE LEFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.