What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 4, 2001, at 1515 eastern daylight time, a blanik L-13 glider, N9297Z, collided with a tree during an initial takeoff run at the Marlette Airport, Marlette, Michigan. The certified flight instructor received a serious injury and the student pilot was not injured. The glider received minor damage. The 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight was originating when the accident occurred. (-23) instructor pilot (pete sisoy) and student pilot (cameron martin) attempted takeoff utilizing a winch tow system. Two members of the vulture soaring club attached the left and right side tow bridles. The left side bridle released shortly after the tow started, within a few feet of application of tension. The right bridle was then the only pull on the glider. This caused the initiation of a slow left turn. The instructor pulled the tow release. However, by this time the glider was headed left off of the grassy area paralleling the runway. The glider hit a small tree and went into a shallow ditch, approximately 200 feet from the starting point. Damage was limited to a small tear in the left wing leading edge and a hole on the left side of the cockpit. The hole in the cockpit was caused by a small tree branch that penetrated the instructors calf. Mr. Sisoy pilot was transported to the hospital EMS personnel for removal of the still impaled tree branch and repair of his leg. Mr. Sisoy was released from the hospital on the afternoon of 8 August 2001.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 4, 2001, AT 1515 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BLANIK L-13 GLIDER, N9297Z, COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING AN INITIAL TAKEOFF RUN AT THE MARLETTE AIRPORT, MARLETTE, MICHIGAN. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECEIVED A SERIOUS INJURY AND THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE GLIDER RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. (-23) INSTRUCTOR PILOT (PETE SISOY) AND STUDENT PILOT (CAMERON MARTIN) ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF UTILIZING A WINCH TOW SYSTEM. TWO MEMBERS OF THE VULTURE SOARING CLUB ATTACHED THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE TOW BRIDLES. THE LEFT SIDE BRIDLE RELEASED SHORTLY AFTER THE TOW STARTED, WITHIN A FEW FEET OF APPLICATION OF TENSION. THE RIGHT BRIDLE WAS THEN THE ONLY PULL ON THE GLIDER. THIS CAUSED THE INITIATION OF A SLOW LEFT TURN. THE INSTRUCTOR PULLED THE TOW RELEASE. HOWEVER, BY THIS TIME THE GLIDER WAS HEADED LEFT OFF OF THE GRASSY AREA PARALLELING THE RUNWAY. THE GLIDER HIT A SMALL TREE AND WENT INTO A SHALLOW DITCH, APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE STARTING POINT. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A SMALL TEAR IN THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AND A HOLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT. THE HOLE IN THE COCKPIT WAS CAUSED BY A SMALL TREE BRANCH THAT PENETRATED THE INSTRUCTORS CALF. MR. SISOY PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL EMS PERSONNEL FOR REMOVAL OF THE STILL IMPALED TREE BRANCH AND REPAIR OF HIS LEG. MR. SISOY WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL ON THE AFTERNOON OF 8 AUGUST 2001.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9297Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.