Narrative:

I was towing gliders at kelly air park (north of colorado springs, co) for sbf. As usual, on week-ends at kelly air park, there was a continuous line up of gliders to be towed. The usual system is for sbf gliders to stage on the west dirt taxiway (parallel to the asphalt main runway) and when the tow plane is downwind the glider is hand moved to the active (asphalt) runway, awaiting tow. I usually, (consistent with the approved procedure) land on the east dirt parallel taxiway and then back taxi on the active runway to pick up the next glider for tow. A second tow plane was also operating at the air park on sun, towing a private glider, the pilot of the other plane is a professional and we always maintain radio contact to insure a mutually safe and efficient towing operation. The runway incursion situation began when I entered the 45 degree right downwind (power aircraft pattern) to runway 35. After making a 45 degree radio call, I entered the right downwind to the east taxiway parallel to runway 35. About that time, pilot Z, who was in his glider, announced over the radio that he was on left downwind (standard glider traffic pattern for runway 35) and that he would land on the east taxiway. I then asked pilot Z, on the radio, if he would like to land first. Pilot Z said 'no' that I could land first. At this time I proceeded to land on the east taxiway. After landing, I cleared the parallel taxiway and held short between the east taxiway and the active runway. At that time pilot Z announced that he was landing on the east taxiway (in his glider) and that it was not necessary for me to hold short of the active runway. As I taxied on the main runway, I saw pilot Y tow plane on final. Pilot Y had been watching and monitoring the radio, so he immediately initiated a pull-up and go around, before I could exit on the grass. At no time were the 2 tow planes closer than 500 ft. I immediately recognized the runway incursion and transmitted my apology to pilot Y. I then continued to back taxi on runway 35 and exited the runway at the approach end to let pilot Z land. I then continued to tow for the rest of the day. In reconstructing the situation, the most logical explanation for the unfortunate incursion was, in part, the transmission from pilot Z which stated 'that I need not continue to hold short.' this transmission momentarily caused a lapse in my situational awareness of the other tow plane. Recommendations: continued and improved situation awareness of all traffic. Resist any distraction in the form of radio or other intrusions. Consider a revision in the kelly air park rules and regulations to allow tow planes to taxi back on the east taxiway to the approach end and then carefully pull in front of the waiting glider for hook-up. This will reduce tow plane back taxiing and also increase the efficiency of the towing activity.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY TRANSGRESSION BY A GLIDER TOW PLANE CAUSING ANOTHER TOW ACFT TO GAR AT A NON CTLED ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS TOWING GLIDERS AT KELLY AIR PARK (N OF COLORADO SPRINGS, CO) FOR SBF. AS USUAL, ON WK-ENDS AT KELLY AIR PARK, THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS LINE UP OF GLIDERS TO BE TOWED. THE USUAL SYS IS FOR SBF GLIDERS TO STAGE ON THE W DIRT TXWY (PARALLEL TO THE ASPHALT MAIN RWY) AND WHEN THE TOW PLANE IS DOWNWIND THE GLIDER IS HAND MOVED TO THE ACTIVE (ASPHALT) RWY, AWAITING TOW. I USUALLY, (CONSISTENT WITH THE APPROVED PROC) LAND ON THE E DIRT PARALLEL TXWY AND THEN BACK TAXI ON THE ACTIVE RWY TO PICK UP THE NEXT GLIDER FOR TOW. A SECOND TOW PLANE WAS ALSO OPERATING AT THE AIR PARK ON SUN, TOWING A PVT GLIDER, THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE IS A PROFESSIONAL AND WE ALWAYS MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT TO INSURE A MUTUALLY SAFE AND EFFICIENT TOWING OP. THE RWY INCURSION SIT BEGAN WHEN I ENTERED THE 45 DEG R DOWNWIND (PWR ACFT PATTERN) TO RWY 35. AFTER MAKING A 45 DEG RADIO CALL, I ENTERED THE R DOWNWIND TO THE E TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY 35. ABOUT THAT TIME, PLT Z, WHO WAS IN HIS GLIDER, ANNOUNCED OVER THE RADIO THAT HE WAS ON L DOWNWIND (STANDARD GLIDER TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 35) AND THAT HE WOULD LAND ON THE E TXWY. I THEN ASKED PLT Z, ON THE RADIO, IF HE WOULD LIKE TO LAND FIRST. PLT Z SAID 'NO' THAT I COULD LAND FIRST. AT THIS TIME I PROCEEDED TO LAND ON THE E TXWY. AFTER LNDG, I CLRED THE PARALLEL TXWY AND HELD SHORT BTWN THE E TXWY AND THE ACTIVE RWY. AT THAT TIME PLT Z ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS LNDG ON THE E TXWY (IN HIS GLIDER) AND THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR ME TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY. AS I TAXIED ON THE MAIN RWY, I SAW PLT Y TOW PLANE ON FINAL. PLT Y HAD BEEN WATCHING AND MONITORING THE RADIO, SO HE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A PULL-UP AND GAR, BEFORE I COULD EXIT ON THE GRASS. AT NO TIME WERE THE 2 TOW PLANES CLOSER THAN 500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE RWY INCURSION AND XMITTED MY APOLOGY TO PLT Y. I THEN CONTINUED TO BACK TAXI ON RWY 35 AND EXITED THE RWY AT THE APCH END TO LET PLT Z LAND. I THEN CONTINUED TO TOW FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. IN RECONSTRUCTING THE SIT, THE MOST LOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR THE UNFORTUNATE INCURSION WAS, IN PART, THE XMISSION FROM PLT Z WHICH STATED 'THAT I NEED NOT CONTINUE TO HOLD SHORT.' THIS XMISSION MOMENTARILY CAUSED A LAPSE IN MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE OTHER TOW PLANE. RECOMMENDATIONS: CONTINUED AND IMPROVED SIT AWARENESS OF ALL TFC. RESIST ANY DISTR IN THE FORM OF RADIO OR OTHER INTRUSIONS. CONSIDER A REVISION IN THE KELLY AIR PARK RULES AND REGS TO ALLOW TOW PLANES TO TAXI BACK ON THE E TXWY TO THE APCH END AND THEN CAREFULLY PULL IN FRONT OF THE WAITING GLIDER FOR HOOK-UP. THIS WILL REDUCE TOW PLANE BACK TAXIING AND ALSO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE TOWING ACTIVITY.

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.