Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Kutztown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kutztown, Pennsylvania 19530
Sunday, October 6, 1996 11:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and passenger of the glider were towed by a Cessna 182 from the right side of the 2,435 foot long grass runway. A winch cable was lying in the grass, parallel to the runway, extending from a glider winch truck. A witness saw the glider approximately 300 feet from the end of the runway with the winch cable hanging from the nose area of the glider. At an altitude of 40 to 50 feet above the ground, the glider pilot realized the glider had caught the winch cable, and released the tow line. The tow line and the winch cable dropped from the glider, and the glider pilot executed a turn to the left. The left wing of the glider came in contact with standing corn stalks, the glider rotated around the left wing tip and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he discussed the presence of the cable with the airport manager, and the takeoff seemed normal except that it took a little longer to get airborne. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the with glider.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the glider pilot's improper decision to takeoff despite the presence of a glider winch cable lying on the runway area, which led to the glider snagging the winch cable during the takeoff roll and a subsequent forced landing. A related factor was: the airport manager's improper decision to conduct aero-tow operations, while the glider winch cable was lying on the runway area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/6/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | KUTZTOWN |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19530 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | KUTZTOWN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N31 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 512 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1858 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 6 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N288S |
| NTSB Number | IAD97LA004 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Wsk Pzl Krosno |
| Aircraft Model | KR-03A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | KR-03A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 03-23 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1190 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 3 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 633 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GRANITE SALES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1928 HAMILTON STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALLENTOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 18104 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | 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 |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | N31 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 2435 |
| Runway Width | 240 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |