- Date
- November 19, 1983, 10:28 local (17:28 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Spgs, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3594PPiper PA-18-180N4246LBurkhart Grob G103
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19831119058152A19831119058151A
- Case key
- 16293
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The Piper PA-18, N3594P, was being used to tow a burkhart grob flugzeugbau G103 twin astir, N4246L. At 0950 MST, the wind was reported from 310 deg at 9 KTS. Since the terrain sloped downhill to the south, rwy 17R (covered with hard packed snow) was being used for takeoff. The glider club had a policy that all takeoffs would be made to the south, but no takeoffs were permitted if the tailwind exceeds 20 KTS. The tow plt reported that during takeoff, a quartering rear gust of wind was encountered & forced the acft back onto the rwy. The acft touched down at the end of the rwy, rolled into snow & nosed over. The instructor plt (CFI) in the glider reported the glider had just lifted off when he saw the tow plane settle to the ground & disappear in a cloud of snow. The glider student relearse the tow rope. The glider entered the cloud of snow. When it emerged from the cloud, the glider aircrew saw the inverted tow plane immediately ahead. The left wing of the glider hit the right main gear of the tow plane. Tow plt EST gusts, 15 KTS.
The Piper PA-18, N3594P, was being used to tow a burkhart grob flugzeubau G103 twin astir, N4246L. At 0950 MST, the wind was reported from 310 deg at 9 KTS. Since the terrain sloped downhill to the south, rwy 17R (covered with hard packed snow) was being used for takeoff. The glider club had a policy that all takeoffs would be made to the south, but no takeoffs were permitted if the tailwind exceed 20 KTS. The tow plt reported that during takeoff, a quartering rear gust of wind was encountered & forced the acft back onto the rwy. The acft touch down at the end of the rwy, rolled into snow & nosed over. The instructor plt (CFI) in the glider reported the glider had just lifted off when he saw the tow plane settle to the ground & disappear in a cloud of snow. The glider student released the tow rope. The glider entered the cloud of snow. When it emerged from the cloud, the glider aircrew saw the inverted tow plane immediately ahead. The left wing of the glider hit the right main gear of the tow plane. Tow plt EST gusts, 15 KTS.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N3594P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4552
- Airframe hours
- 8,046
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wave Flights, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 13, 1983
- Airport
- CO26 · Black Forest, runway 17R, 1,000 × ft, snow
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N4246L
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob G103
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3609
- Airframe hours
- 673
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Waye Flights, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Craig Thompson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1983
- Airport
- CO26 · Black Forest, runway 17R, 1,000 × ft, snow
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N3594P
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 862 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4246L
- Age
- 60
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,100 total · 30 in this make and model · 4,720 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3594P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.