- Date
- May 7, 1985, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Winter Haven, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N40EESchempp-Hirth VENTUS-BN54550Cessna 305A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19850507018681A19850507018682A
- Case key
- 31396
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
A schempp-hirth ventus b, N40EE, was positioned on rwy 29 to be towed on a competition glider flt. The plt reported that before starting his takeoff, the tow plane was positioned to the left of the glider. The wind was from 030 deg at 8 KTS. As the takeoff commenced, the glider was pulled to the left. The glider's left wing struck the rwy, followed by the right wing, then the glider swerved to the right. The glider plt released the tow line, but the glider continued off the right side of the rwy, subsequently, it collided with a Cessna 305A, N54550, that was returning from its 4th tow mission & was taxiing about 75 ft to the right of the rwy.
A schempp-hirth ventus b, N40EE, was positioned on rwy 29 to be towed on a competition glider flt. The plt reported that before starting his takeoff, the tow plane was positioned to the left of the glider. The wind was from 030 deg at 8 KTS. As the takeoff commenced, the glider was pulled to the left. The glider's left wing struck the rwy, followed by the right wing, then the glider swerved to the right. The glider plt released the tow line, but the glider continued off the right side of the rwy. Subsequently, it collided with a Cessna 305A, N54550, that was returning from its 4th tow mission & was taxiing about 75 ft to the right of the rwy.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N40EE
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 110
- Airframe hours
- 125
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stanley F. Nelson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 18, 1984 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- GIF
- Airport
- GIF · Winter Haven, runway 29, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- N54550
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- JV5
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- High Performance Soaring Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GIF
- Airport
- GIF · Winter Haven, runway 29, 4,000 × 100 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 N40EE
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13,564 total · 229 in this make and model · 85 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N54550
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,960 total · 36 in this make and model · 2,407 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BOW, 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.