# Accident 20040808021049A: Cessna 305A, Frankfort, MI, August 8, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 8, 2004, 13:55 local time
- Place: Frankfort, MI
- Airport: City-County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.6250° N, 86.2008° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.6250&lon=-86.2008&mi=10
- Aircraft: N54517, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54517-2005-02-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna-Vansant Interprises-Inc 305A (registry code 207408E, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-vansant-interprises-inc-305a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 305A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total, 20 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI04CA218](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04CA218) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040808021049A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 CHI04CA218](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04CA218), Aug 8, 2004: Cessna 305A (N54517), Frankfort, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

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.