- Date
- March 28, 1986, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mckinney, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19860328008112A19860328008111A
- Case key
- 21889
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
As a pitts special, N66D, was in the traffic pattern to lnd, a Cessna L-19E towplane, N4431B, was on the 1300' grass overrun near the apch end of the rwy with a glider being readied for tow. The glider (sailplane) was a grob 103, N226BG.the plt of the pitts stated he noticed svrl gliders & towplanes parked on/near the overrun, but since the usual practicewas to park such acft in that area, he did not consider their presence an indcn of imminent takeoff. As the pitts contd on final apch, the towplane & glider started taking off. Shortly after the towplane lifted off, it & the pitts convergedvertically & collided. The pitts then entered an uncontrolled dscnt & crashed in a steep nose down attitude, but the pltwas secured in the acft by a 5 point harness & a lap belt & survived. The towplane's left wing tip was damaged, but the plane contd flying & lndd safely. Rprtdly, the wing walker for the glider was inexperienced & did not confirm the lndg traffic or signal the towplt to delay the takeoff.
As a pitts special, N66D, was in the traffic pattern to lnd, a Cessna L-19E towplane, N4431B, was on the 1300' grass overrun near the apch end of the rwy with a glider being readied for tow. The glider (sailplane) was a grob 103, N226BG.the plt of the pitts stated he noticed svrl gliders & towplanes parked on/near the overrun, but since the usual practicewas to park such acft in that area, he did not consider their presence an indcn of imminent takeoff. As the pitts contd on final apch, the towplane & glider started taking off. Shortly after the towplane lifted off, it & the pitts convergedvertically & collided. The pitts then entered an uncontrolled dscnt & crashed in a steep nose down attitude, but the pltwas secured in the acft by a 5 point harness & a lap belt & survived. The towplane's left wing tip was damaged, but the plane contd flying & lndd safely. Rprtdly, the wing walker for the glider was inexperienced & did not confirm the lndg traffic or signal for the towplt to delay the takeoff.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N66D
- Reported as
- Spencer Pitts S-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 248H
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ken Krebaum
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- TX05 · Aero Country, runway 17, 2,950 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- N4431B
- Reported as
- Cessna L-19E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24513
- Engine
- Continental O-470-11, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Hickley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- TX05 · Aero Country, runway 17, 2,950 × 40 ft, asphalt
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.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N66D
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 90 in this make and model · 740 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4431B
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAL, 22 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.