Black Forest Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Colorado Spgs, Colorado 80936
Saturday, November 19, 1983 10:28 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PIPER PA-18, N3594P, WAS BEING USED TO TOW A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUBAU G103 TWIN ASTIR, N4246L. AT 0950 MST, THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 310 DEG AT 9 KTS. SINCE THE TERRAIN SLOPED DOWNHILL TO THE SOUTH, RWY 17R (COVERED WITH HARD PACKED SNOW) WAS BEING USED FOR TAKEOFF. THE GLIDER CLUB HAD A POLICY THAT ALL TAKEOFFS WOULD BE MADE TO THE SOUTH, BUT NO TAKEOFFS WERE PERMITTED IF THE TAILWIND EXCEED 20 KTS. THE TOW PLT REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, A QUARTERING REAR GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED & FORCED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY. THE ACFT TOUCH DOWN AT THE END OF THE RWY, ROLLED INTO SNOW & NOSED OVER. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) IN THE GLIDER REPORTED THE GLIDER HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN HE SAW THE TOW PLANE SETTLE TO THE GROUND & DISAPPEAR IN A CLOUD OF SNOW. THE GLIDER STUDENT RELEASED THE TOW ROPE. THE GLIDER ENTERED THE CLOUD OF SNOW. WHEN IT EMERGED FROM THE CLOUD, THE GLIDER AIRCREW SAW THE INVERTED TOW PLANE IMMEDIATELY AHEAD. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER HIT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR OF THE TOW PLANE. TOW PLT EST GUSTS, 15 KTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/19/1983
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1028
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City COLORADO SPGS
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80936
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport BLACK FOREST
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CO26
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 7180
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 950 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 175
Weather Observation Facility ID COS
Elevation of weather observation facility 6172
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 100
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 6200
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2015
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 22367
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 N3594P N4246L
NTSB Number DEN84LA029A DEN84LA029B
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 Substantial Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER Burkhart Grob
Aircraft Model PA-18-180 G103
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-18-180 G103
Aircraft Serial Number 18-4552 3609
Certified Max Gross Weight 1750 700
Aircraft Category Airplane Glider
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2 2
Number of Engines 1 --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 13 1983 12:00AM Sep 1 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours 8046 673
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name WAVE FLIGHTS, INC. CRAIG THOMPSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9990 GLIDERPORT RD 1360 FAWNWOOD DR.
Aircraft Owner City COLORADO SPRING MONUMENT
Aircraft Owner State CO CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80908 80132
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name WAYE FLIGHTS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Street Address 9900 GLIDERPORT RD.
Operator City MONUMENT
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80132
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
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) Other Work Use Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1028 1028
Departure Time Zone MST MST
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 10:36AM Feb 26 2001 8:06AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17R 17R
Runway Length 1000 1000
Runway Width -- --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --