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20040808021049A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 305A · Frankfort, MI · August 8, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 8, 2004 · 13:55 local
Place
Frankfort, MI
Airport
City-County Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N54517
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI04CA218
Reported as
Cessna 305A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,700 total20 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N54517Registration cancelled Feb 11, 2005 · Cessna-Vansant Interprises-Inc 305AS/N JV4 · Built 1977Airframe modelCessna-Vansant Interprises-Inc 305AEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot Mr. Eugene r. butler was piloting a Cessna-vansant aircraft, formerly a Cessna 305A (bird dog), while towing a schleicher, ASK13 glider, piloted by Mr. Richard l. ide. During the take off run there was a left crosswind. Before becoming airborne, the glider pilot made the decision that the take off was not proceeding as it should and as he had been trained, he disconnected the towline. At the moment that the glider pilot released the towline, he admitted that he was slightly to the right of the tow aircraft. The left crosswind, high torque of the 230 horse power engine and the left turning effect caused by the glider being to the right of the tow aircraft, all combined to create a left turning tendency which the tow aircrafts relatively slow speed of approximately 45 to 50 mph was unable to compensate for, with full right rudder input. As the tow aircraft was beginning to drift to the left side of the runway the glider pilot released the towline, which would have had the effect of suddenly accelerating the tow aircraft. This sudden acceleration occurred at the exact moment that the tow aircraft was pointing to the left of the runway centerline and thereby acceleratedthe tow aircraft off of the left side of the runway. The tow aircraft proceeded off the runway and through the tall grass for approximately 150 feet, at which time the pilot elected to continue the take off to prevent a collision with a large drainage ditch ahead of him. The aircraft became airborne but could not clear the trees 250 feet ahead and stalled, impacted the ground and caught fire. The pilot was able to release the seat belt and shoulder harness and evacuate the aircraft with minor burns and cuts. After discussions with both pilots and taking into account their considerable experience at glider operations, privacy data omitted this accident was a result of a combination of factors that resulted in dynamic forces that the pilot of the tow aircraft was unable to compensate for at the relatively slow speed at which they occurred. Both pilots were counseled and this matter is considered closed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT MR. EUGENE R. BUTLER WAS PILOTING A CESSNA-VANSANT AIRCRAFT, FORMERLY A CESSNA 305A (BIRD DOG), WHILE TOWING A SCHLEICHER, ASK13 GLIDER, PILOTED BY MR. RICHARD L. IDE. DURING THE TAKE OFF RUN THERE WAS A LEFT CROSSWIND. BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE GLIDER PILOT MADE THE DECISION THAT THE TAKE OFF WAS NOT PROCEEDING AS IT SHOULD AND AS HE HAD BEEN TRAINED, HE DISCONNECTED THE TOWLINE. AT THE MOMENT THAT THE GLIDER PILOT RELEASED THE TOWLINE, HE ADMITTED THAT HE WAS SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOW AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT CROSSWIND, HIGH TORQUE OF THE 230 HORSE POWER ENGINE AND THE LEFT TURNING EFFECT CAUSED BY THE GLIDER BEING TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOW AIRCRAFT, ALL COMBINED TO CREATE A LEFT TURNING TENDENCY WHICH THE TOW AIRCRAFTS RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45 TO 50 MPH WAS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR, WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER INPUT. AS THE TOW AIRCRAFT WAS BEGINNING TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY THE GLIDER PILOT RELEASED THE TOWLINE, WHICH WOULD HAVE HAD THE EFFECT OF SUDDENLY ACCELERATING THE TOW AIRCRAFT. THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED AT THE EXACT MOMENT THAT THE TOW AIRCRAFT WAS POINTING TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND THEREBY ACCELERATEDTHE TOW AIRCRAFT OFF OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE TOW AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED OFF THE RUNWAY AND THROUGH THE TALL GRASS FOR APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKE OFF TO PREVENT A COLLISION WITH A LARGE DRAINAGE DITCH AHEAD OF HIM. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE BUT COULD NOT CLEAR THE TREES 250 FEET AHEAD AND STALLED, IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS AND EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR BURNS AND CUTS. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH PILOTS AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE AT GLIDER OPERATIONS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS ACCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF A COMBINATION OF FACTORS THAT RESULTED IN DYNAMIC FORCES THAT THE PILOT OF THE TOW AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR AT THE RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED AT WHICH THEY OCCURRED. BOTH PILOTS WERE COUNSELED AND THIS MATTER IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI04CA218Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportFrankfort, MIThe tow pilot failed to maintain directional control during takeoff roll and failed to abort the takeoff. Additionally, the tow pilot failed to attain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. The tailwind and the tall grass were contributing factors.Aug 8, 2004 · Substantial damage