Narrative:

While flying a bellanca scout, I towed a glider (schweitzer 1-26) from the grass runway of warren/skeets uncontrolled airport to an area of lift approximately 5 mi from the airport. The glider released at 3000 ft. I returned to the airport. I heard another glider (pilatus B4) announce downwind position for runway 18. I delayed landing, did not spot the B4 until I located it on the ground. It had landed and was at the west side of runway, ready for ground tow back to the flight line. I then landed on runway 36. When light or xwinds permit, we land the tow plane opposite gliders to expedite hook up and towing, to avoid the traffic on runway 04/22, and to avoid flying the tow rope over the flight line and possible strikes on aircraft and personnel. On rollout, I saw the glider which I had just towed, approaching me to land on runway 18 at about 10 ft of altitude and 1000 ft distance. The glider although released in lift, had soon encountered sink and returned to the field much more quickly than normally expected. The 1-26 pilot either had no radio or did not announce position. I believed the 1-26 pilot to be a low time pilot. I therefore decided to take immediate action to indicate my intentions and clear the runway as quickly as possible, so that a clearer decision would be possible for the 1-26 pilot. Since I was on the ground and had power I also had options which the glider pilot did not. I was on the east side of runway, I turned east to the right and the edge of the field to clear the field and then to take action to avoid going into the adjacent soy bean field across cultivator rows or hitting a runway marker which I was approaching. Although I was not moving fast at this point, and had the stick full aft, the application of very effective brakes on the scout, to my great surprise, flipped the aircraft over on its back. While hanging inverted in the 5 point harness I turned off the switches, could not find or reach the fuel valve in inverted position, examined the window latch for opening procedure, opened the window, supported myself with my arms and hands on the aircraft roof, released the belt hitch, lowered myself and exited the window unhurt. The primary cause of the accident was that I did not see the 1-26 in the pattern soon enough. This was precipitated by its unannounced early arrival, the diversion of searching for the B4, and the position of the 1-26 below me against terrain before I started a rapid descent using flaps and slipping. Only after landing was I able to see the 1-26 more easily against the sky. Preventative measures would have been, consistent use of radios and runway direction. 3 options later occurred to me which might have prevented flipping the aircraft: gentler use of brakes, although time and the intensity of need for action made this questionable, intentional ground looping, or taking a chance on crossing the cultivator rows. I however, did not expect the braking action, at the speed I felt I was traveling, to be that intense and cause the aircraft to FLIP on its back. I regret damaging the scout, however I am quite certain that had I not vacated the runway as quickly as I did, that a collision with the glider was a distinct possibility. Injury or worse would have been likely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PF A BL28 NOTICES, AS HE IS IN HIS LNDG ROLL ON A TURF RWY, THAT A SCHWEITZER 1-26 (GLIDER) IS ON SHORT FINAL FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR THE SAME RWY. HE TURNS OFF OF THE RWY AND APPLIES THE BRAKES A BIT TOO VIGOROUSLY AND HIS ACFT FLIPS OVER ON ITS BACK. SOME DAMAGE, BUT NO INJURY.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A BELLANCA SCOUT, I TOWED A GLIDER (SCHWEITZER 1-26) FROM THE GRASS RWY OF WARREN/SKEETS UNCTLED ARPT TO AN AREA OF LIFT APPROX 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE GLIDER RELEASED AT 3000 FT. I RETURNED TO THE ARPT. I HEARD ANOTHER GLIDER (PILATUS B4) ANNOUNCE DOWNWIND POS FOR RWY 18. I DELAYED LNDG, DID NOT SPOT THE B4 UNTIL I LOCATED IT ON THE GND. IT HAD LANDED AND WAS AT THE W SIDE OF RWY, READY FOR GND TOW BACK TO THE FLT LINE. I THEN LANDED ON RWY 36. WHEN LIGHT OR XWINDS PERMIT, WE LAND THE TOW PLANE OPPOSITE GLIDERS TO EXPEDITE HOOK UP AND TOWING, TO AVOID THE TFC ON RWY 04/22, AND TO AVOID FLYING THE TOW ROPE OVER THE FLT LINE AND POSSIBLE STRIKES ON ACFT AND PERSONNEL. ON ROLLOUT, I SAW THE GLIDER WHICH I HAD JUST TOWED, APCHING ME TO LAND ON RWY 18 AT ABOUT 10 FT OF ALT AND 1000 FT DISTANCE. THE GLIDER ALTHOUGH RELEASED IN LIFT, HAD SOON ENCOUNTERED SINK AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN NORMALLY EXPECTED. THE 1-26 PLT EITHER HAD NO RADIO OR DID NOT ANNOUNCE POS. I BELIEVED THE 1-26 PLT TO BE A LOW TIME PLT. I THEREFORE DECIDED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO INDICATE MY INTENTIONS AND CLR THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT A CLEARER DECISION WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE 1-26 PLT. SINCE I WAS ON THE GND AND HAD PWR I ALSO HAD OPTIONS WHICH THE GLIDER PLT DID NOT. I WAS ON THE E SIDE OF RWY, I TURNED E TO THE R AND THE EDGE OF THE FIELD TO CLR THE FIELD AND THEN TO TAKE ACTION TO AVOID GOING INTO THE ADJACENT SOY BEAN FIELD ACROSS CULTIVATOR ROWS OR HITTING A RWY MARKER WHICH I WAS APCHING. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT MOVING FAST AT THIS POINT, AND HAD THE STICK FULL AFT, THE APPLICATION OF VERY EFFECTIVE BRAKES ON THE SCOUT, TO MY GREAT SURPRISE, FLIPPED THE ACFT OVER ON ITS BACK. WHILE HANGING INVERTED IN THE 5 POINT HARNESS I TURNED OFF THE SWITCHES, COULD NOT FIND OR REACH THE FUEL VALVE IN INVERTED POS, EXAMINED THE WINDOW LATCH FOR OPENING PROC, OPENED THE WINDOW, SUPPORTED MYSELF WITH MY ARMS AND HANDS ON THE ACFT ROOF, RELEASED THE BELT HITCH, LOWERED MYSELF AND EXITED THE WINDOW UNHURT. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT I DID NOT SEE THE 1-26 IN THE PATTERN SOON ENOUGH. THIS WAS PRECIPITATED BY ITS UNANNOUNCED EARLY ARR, THE DIVERSION OF SEARCHING FOR THE B4, AND THE POS OF THE 1-26 BELOW ME AGAINST TERRAIN BEFORE I STARTED A RAPID DSCNT USING FLAPS AND SLIPPING. ONLY AFTER LNDG WAS I ABLE TO SEE THE 1-26 MORE EASILY AGAINST THE SKY. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES WOULD HAVE BEEN, CONSISTENT USE OF RADIOS AND RWY DIRECTION. 3 OPTIONS LATER OCCURRED TO ME WHICH MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED FLIPPING THE ACFT: GENTLER USE OF BRAKES, ALTHOUGH TIME AND THE INTENSITY OF NEED FOR ACTION MADE THIS QUESTIONABLE, INTENTIONAL GND LOOPING, OR TAKING A CHANCE ON XING THE CULTIVATOR ROWS. I HOWEVER, DID NOT EXPECT THE BRAKING ACTION, AT THE SPD I FELT I WAS TRAVELING, TO BE THAT INTENSE AND CAUSE THE ACFT TO FLIP ON ITS BACK. I REGRET DAMAGING THE SCOUT, HOWEVER I AM QUITE CERTAIN THAT HAD I NOT VACATED THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS I DID, THAT A COLLISION WITH THE GLIDER WAS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY. INJURY OR WORSE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY.

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.