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Tow pilot has trailing rope encounter pwrlines during a low altitude turn to landing runway. Rope breaks off after pilot feels tug and slight sink of the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 376631 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : d73 |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 150 agl bound upper : 150 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-25 Pawnee |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 376631 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other 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:
At approximately XA00 on aug/xa/97 after towing a glider to 2000 ft AGL, I entered a normal l-hand pattern for runway 3. As I turned short final with 350-400 ft at 75 mph, some sink was encountered. After crossing the last house and pwrlines I felt a slight tug on the aircraft. A normal landing followed. Upon visual inspection from the ground 4-6 ft of the 200 ft tow rope had snapped, broken off and was hanging in the pwrlines crossing the end of runway 3. No pwrlines were down and no damage could be detected. The local utility was called immediately and they came and removed the piece of tow rope. Pilot error occurred when I did not add power once sink was encountered. All remaining approachs were rerted over a less hazardous route (less wires) accompanied by a steep slipping final so the tow rope would remain up behind the aircraft and not hang down below. In addition, depending on conditions, a higher final might be necessary but would also result in landing a little longer.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TOW PLT HAS TRAILING ROPE ENCOUNTER PWRLINES DURING A LOW ALT TURN TO LNDG RWY. ROPE BREAKS OFF AFTER PLT FEELS TUG AND SLIGHT SINK OF THE ACFT.
Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 ON AUG/XA/97 AFTER TOWING A GLIDER TO 2000 FT AGL, I ENTERED A NORMAL L-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 3. AS I TURNED SHORT FINAL WITH 350-400 FT AT 75 MPH, SOME SINK WAS ENCOUNTERED. AFTER XING THE LAST HOUSE AND PWRLINES I FELT A SLIGHT TUG ON THE ACFT. A NORMAL LNDG FOLLOWED. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE GND 4-6 FT OF THE 200 FT TOW ROPE HAD SNAPPED, BROKEN OFF AND WAS HANGING IN THE PWRLINES XING THE END OF RWY 3. NO PWRLINES WERE DOWN AND NO DAMAGE COULD BE DETECTED. THE LCL UTILITY WAS CALLED IMMEDIATELY AND THEY CAME AND REMOVED THE PIECE OF TOW ROPE. PLT ERROR OCCURRED WHEN I DID NOT ADD PWR ONCE SINK WAS ENCOUNTERED. ALL REMAINING APCHS WERE RERTED OVER A LESS HAZARDOUS RTE (LESS WIRES) ACCOMPANIED BY A STEEP SLIPPING FINAL SO THE TOW ROPE WOULD REMAIN UP BEHIND THE ACFT AND NOT HANG DOWN BELOW. IN ADDITION, DEPENDING ON CONDITIONS, A HIGHER FINAL MIGHT BE NECESSARY BUT WOULD ALSO RESULT IN LNDG A LITTLE LONGER.
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.