- Date
- June 17, 2000, 14:31 local (21:31 UTC)
- Place
- Coleville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8578LPiper PA-25-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000617008099A
- Case key
- 49484
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the tow plane pilot's inadequate airplane performance calculations.
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 commercial pilot was attempting to tow a sailplane out from a field. The sailplane pilot had lost lift and made a precautionary landing, and contacted the tow plane company for assistance. After landing the tow plane in the open field, both pilots paced off about 15/1,600 feet, which the tow pilot estimated would be sufficient for takeoff at 5,300 feet msl. The density altitude was calculated to be about 7,903 feet msl. During the takeoff climb the tow plane collided with a fence. The sailplane released, overflew the tow plane about 2 to 4 feet, and collided with another fence.
Factual narrative
On June 17, 2000, about 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-25-260, N8578L, collided with a fence during a sailplane tow takeoff from a dirt field near Coleville, California. The airplane, operated by Soar Minden under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Minden-Tahoe Airport, Minden, Nevada, about 1400, and landed in the field, about 5,300 feet mean sea level (msl), to recover a sailplane after it had made a precautionary landing in the field.
The pilot reported that the sailplane pilot had lost lift and decided to make a precautionary landing, and contacted his company for assistance in towing the glider out of the field. After landing the tow plane in the open field, both pilots paced off about 15/1,600 feet, which he estimated would be sufficient for takeoff at 5,300 feet msl. The density altitude was calculated to be about 7,903 feet msl. During the takeoff climb the tow plane collided with a fence.
The sailplane released, overflew the tow plane by 2 to 4 feet, and collided with another fence across the road from the tow plane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8578L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-5004
- Airframe hours
- 8,593
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Soar Minden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 1999
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- MEV · Minden, NV
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 22,900 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 167 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8578L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.