# Accident 20000617012129A: Schler ASW20, Coleville, CA, June 17, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 17, 2000, 14:30 local time
- Place: Coleville, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4708° N, 119.4808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4708&lon=-119.4808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N59WM (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SCHLER ASW20
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,591 total, 38 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA232) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000617012129A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JUNE 17, 200 AT 1605 PDT, ^PRIVACY DATA O^ WAS ON TOW IN SCHLEICHER ASW-20, N59WM. THE TOWPLANE SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF HIT A FENCE AND THE SCHLEICHER, N59WM RELEASED AND HIT THE GORUND WITH SUBSTANITAL DAMAGE.       (.4) ON JUNE 17, 2000, ABOUT 1430 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHLEICHER AS20, N59WM, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE ON AN AERO TOW TAKEOFF FROM A DIRT FIELD NEAR COLEVILLE, CALIFORNIA. THE SAILPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL GLIDER PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE CROSS-COUNTRY RECREATIONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TRUCKEE-TAHOE, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT AT 1230.  AFTER THE TOW TAKEOFF FROM TRUCKEE-TAHOE AIRPORT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOST LIFT AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD. UPON LEARNING THAT THERE WAS A SOARING CLUB LOCATED NEARBY, HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE CLUB AND REQUESTED AN AIRPLANE TOW OUT OF THE FIELD. DURING THE TAKEOFF THE TOW PLANE COLLIDED WITH A FENCE. THE SAILPLANE RELEASED, OVERFLEW THE TOW PLANE BY 2 TO 4 FEET, TRAVELED ACROSS A ROAD, AN D COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER FENCE.

## 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 LAX00LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA232), Jun 17, 2000: Schleicher AS20 (N59WM), Coleville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the tow plane pilot's inadequate airplane performance calculations.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.