What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The tow aircraft and glider departed ksyn airport on rwy 27 headed straight west with a 20 knot headwind. 3 miles west of the airport the two airplanes made a left 180 degree turn and flew a half mile back towards the airport when the glider released at 2.5 miles from ksyn, 2900FT MSL/1900 AGL. Both aircraft had a tailwind. The glider turned se approximately 145 hdg. The tow plane continued straight east for .5 mile providing lateral separation, he did not descend. Being straight west of the runway 27, the tow plane, turned south east approximately heading 165 and started a gradual descent. The heading was established to intercept a left downwind for rwy 27, and the tow plane began the process of bringing in the line. The two aircraft were now on a converging flight path, the tow plane at 110 mph and the glider with the tailwind approximately 80 mph. The glider saw the tow plane coming at her from the left and it appeared to be at co-altitude. She pulled aft stick and felt an impact, her right wing tip made contact with the leading edge of the tow plane. It was a glancing blow. The tow plane saw a flash of glider at impact, but never saw the glider prior to impact and had no idea what direction the flash came from. The airplanes were at approximately 2500 ft msl/ 1500AGL, 1.5 miles on the 255 radial from the ksyn Stanton airport. Both emergency aircraft returned to rwy 27 at ksyn, glider #1, tow plane #2 in sequence. Adsb data from the tow plane was used post interview phase to confirm and help detail the recollection from both pilots.
As the FAA filed it
THE TOW AIRCRAFT AND GLIDER DEPARTED KSYN AIRPORT ON RWY 27 HEADED STRAIGHT WEST WITH A 20 KNOT HEADWIND. 3 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT THE TWO AIRPLANES MADE A LEFT 180 DEGREE TURN AND FLEW A HALF MILE BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT WHEN THE GLIDER RELEASED AT 2.5 MILES FROM KSYN, 2900FT MSL/1900 AGL. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD A TAILWIND. THE GLIDER TURNED SE APPROXIMATELY 145 HDG. THE TOW PLANE CONTINUED STRAIGHT EAST FOR .5 MILE PROVIDING LATERAL SEPARATION, HE DID NOT DESCEND. BEING STRAIGHT WEST OF THE RUNWAY 27, THE TOW PLANE, TURNED SOUTH EAST APPROXIMATELY HEADING 165 AND STARTED A GRADUAL DESCENT. THE HEADING WAS ESTABLISHED TO INTERCEPT A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27, AND THE TOW PLANE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING IN THE LINE. THE TWO AIRCRAFT WERE NOW ON A CONVERGING FLIGHT PATH, THE TOW PLANE AT 110 MPH AND THE GLIDER WITH THE TAILWIND APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. THE GLIDER SAW THE TOW PLANE COMING AT HER FROM THE LEFT AND IT APPEARED TO BE AT CO-ALTITUDE. SHE PULLED AFT STICK AND FELT AN IMPACT, HER RIGHT WING TIP MADE CONTACT WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TOW PLANE. IT WAS A GLANCING BLOW. THE TOW PLANE SAW A FLASH OF GLIDER AT IMPACT, BUT NEVER SAW THE GLIDER PRIOR TO IMPACT AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT DIRECTION THE FLASH CAME FROM. THE AIRPLANES WERE AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 FT MSL/ 1500AGL, 1.5 MILES ON THE 255 RADIAL FROM THE KSYN STANTON AIRPORT. BOTH EMERGENCY AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO RWY 27 AT KSYN, GLIDER #1, TOW PLANE #2 IN SEQUENCE. ADSB DATA FROM THE TOW PLANE WAS USED POST INTERVIEW PHASE TO CONFIRM AND HELP DETAIL THE RECOLLECTION FROM BOTH PILOTS.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.