The glider was substantially damaged during a forced landing following an aborted aero tow at 1245 Mountain time. The Private pilot and passenger were not injured; visual conditions prevailed. The glider pilot said the tow started normally. He said the towplane started pulling up and then touched back down and the glider pilot saw a puff of smoke. He elected to release and perform an emergency landing at an altitude of approximately 75-100 feet. The pilot said that after turning 90 degrees right, the glider was close to the ground so he leveled the wings and tried to flare and the glider impacted terrain and ground looped. The right wing was severed from the aircraft and the fuselage was found in two pieces, separated just aft of the cockpit.
July 9, 2005, Moriarty, N.M. / Grob 103
The glider was substantially damaged during a forced landing following an aborted aero tow at 1245 Mountain time. The Private pilot and passenger were not injured; visual conditions prevailed. The glider pilot said the tow started normally. He said the towplane started pulling up and then touched back down and the glider pilot saw a puff of smoke. He elected to release and perform an emergency landing at an altitude of approximately 75-100 feet. The pilot said that after turning 90 degrees right, the glider was close to the ground so he leveled the wings and tried to flare and the glider impacted terrain and ground looped. The right wing was severed from the aircraft and the fuselage...
Key Takeaways:
- A glider sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following an aborted aero tow, which was initiated after the glider pilot observed a puff of smoke from the towplane.
- The glider pilot released from the tow at an altitude of 75-100 feet and subsequently impacted terrain and ground looped while attempting to turn and flare close to the ground.
- Despite the glider suffering severe structural damage, including a severed right wing and a fuselage broken in two, both the private pilot and passenger were uninjured.
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