Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ames Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ames, Iowa 50010
Tuesady, July 18, 1995 13:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HE COMPLETED HIS PREFLIGHT IN PREPARATION FOR LAUNCH, HE SECURED HIMSELF IN THE GLIDER AS THE TOW ROPE WAS CONNECTED. HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT RECALL ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED, CONCERNING THE TAKEOFF ROLL OR ACCIDENT. THE TOW PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER THE GLIDER WAS HOOKED UP TO THE TOW PLANE, A SIGNAL WAS PROVIDED TO BEGIN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. WITNESSES STATED THAT AS THE TOW AIRPLANE BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE GLIDER WAS HAVING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEMS. THE TOW AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF AND CLIMBED ABOUT 50 TO 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE TOW PILOT SAID THAT AT ABOUT THAT TIME, HE NOTED EXCESSIVE DRAG AND THE TOW AIRPLANE'S TAIL WAS PULLED DOWN DESPITE HIS USE OF FULL FORWARD ELEVATOR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER CARTWHEELED AND FLIPPED OVER, THE TOW ROPE FAILED, AND THE TOW AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE GLIDER'S RIGHT RUDDERVATOR WAS LOOSE AND WAS NOT PROPERLY CONNECTED TO THE PUSH-PULL TUBE. THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT RECALL, BUT HE PROBABLY DID NOT DO A POSITIVE CONTROL CHECK OF THE RUDDERVATORS BEFORE THE LAUNCH. A WITNESS SAID HE OBSERVED THE GLIDER PILOT CLIMB INTO THE GLIDER'S COCKPIT AND WORK THE CONTROL STICK TO VERIFY AILERON AND RUDDERVATOR CONTROL, BUT HE DID NOT DO A POSITIVE CONTROL CHECK DURING HIS PREFLIGHT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The glider pilot's inadequate preflight of the glider by failing to properly secure a push-pull tube to the glider's right ruddervator; and failure of both the glider pilot and the tow pilot to release the tow rope, which led to a stall of the tow airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/18/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1340 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | AMES |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 50010 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | AMES MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AMW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 955 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1350 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 185 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DSM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 957 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 721 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 18 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1556 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2001 10:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N964 | N6084Z |
| NTSB Number | CHI95LA228A | CHI95LA228B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | REED | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | RS15 | PA-25-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RS15 | PA-25-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 16 | 25-96 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 940 | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | Aug 2 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | 24 |
| Airframe Hours | -- | 3193 |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ABRAHAM H. EPSTEIN | SILENT KNIGHTS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3517 OAKLAND | 6100 W LINCOLN WAY L29 |
| Aircraft Owner City | AMES | AMES |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 50014 | 50014 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ||
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | ||
| Operator City | ||
| Operator State | ||
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | ||
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AMW | AMW |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1340 | 1340 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 | 31 |
| Runway Length | 1800 | 1800 |
| Runway Width | 100 | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |