<< >> NASA ASRS Report 276153, July 1994

Aircraft lands with a trailing rope used for glider towing and the rope descends over an electric utility line causing damage.

Attributes
ACN	276153
Time
Date	199407
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ak44
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 370 msl bound upper : 370
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-18/19 Super Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1200
ASRS Report	276153
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had towed a glider to 6500 ft from the talkeetna state airport. The PA-18 aircraft I was using was based at the talkeetna village airstrip 1/3 mi away. The wind was gusting from the ssw. The tow aircraft was equipped with 30 inch soft rubber tundra tires. The soft rubber tires and wind make landing on asphalt tricky, so I elected to land at the base airport, which is gravel surfaced. On the north end of the village airstrip are some obstructions, including wires. I thought I came in high enough, but the tow rope caught an electric wire to a street light, causing minor damage to wire. My decision to land at the village airstrip was also influenced by heavy air taxi sight-seeing traffic at the nearby state airport. The tow pilot must be aware that additional altitude is required for tow rope clearance for obstructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LANDS WITH A TRAILING ROPE USED FOR GLIDER TOWING AND THE ROPE DSNDS OVER AN ELECTRIC UTILITY LINE CAUSING DAMAGE.

Narrative: I HAD TOWED A GLIDER TO 6500 FT FROM THE TALKEETNA STATE ARPT. THE PA-18 ACFT I WAS USING WAS BASED AT THE TALKEETNA VILLAGE AIRSTRIP 1/3 MI AWAY. THE WIND WAS GUSTING FROM THE SSW. THE TOW ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH 30 INCH SOFT RUBBER TUNDRA TIRES. THE SOFT RUBBER TIRES AND WIND MAKE LNDG ON ASPHALT TRICKY, SO I ELECTED TO LAND AT THE BASE ARPT, WHICH IS GRAVEL SURFACED. ON THE N END OF THE VILLAGE AIRSTRIP ARE SOME OBSTRUCTIONS, INCLUDING WIRES. I THOUGHT I CAME IN HIGH ENOUGH, BUT THE TOW ROPE CAUGHT AN ELECTRIC WIRE TO A STREET LIGHT, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO WIRE. MY DECISION TO LAND AT THE VILLAGE AIRSTRIP WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY HVY AIR TAXI SIGHT-SEEING TFC AT THE NEARBY STATE ARPT. THE TOW PLT MUST BE AWARE THAT ADDITIONAL ALT IS REQUIRED FOR TOW ROPE CLRNC FOR OBSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.