Narrative:

As the pilot of a 1-26 glider, I noticed the tow plane start and stop his engine prior to our launch. After a restart, we attached the tow line and proceeded with the aerotow. I did not have a hand-held radio and the glider did not have an installed radio. The tow plane had a radio and had been announcing each takeoff on unicom. However, unknown to me, the start-up and shutdown prior to the launch was due to a sticking starter solenoid. The tow pilot elected to turn off the master switch as a way of disabling the starter and that disabled his radio (questionable judgement). The takeoff on runway 21 crossed runway 31. Prior to takeoff roll, a cessna citation called unicom on final approach to runway 31L. Complicating communications were 2 C182's flying formation over the field and talking air-to-air on unicom. The C182 interference delayed the citation's call. The glider operations officer noted the conflict of the citation's approach and our aerotow takeoff on runway 21, and instructed the tow plane to abort. Obviously, with no radio, the tow plane continued the takeoff which resulted in the aerotow crossing over the citation at an altitude of 200 ft while the citation rolled out on the runway. Several factors could have prevented the conflict. Radio communications, proper maintenance procedures, a standard pattern entry rather than an extended straight-in. As a result, the glider SOP has changed to require the tow plane to have a functional radio and I personally will not operate any aircraft without at minimum, a personal radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C175 TOWING A SGS1-26 GLIDER ON INITIAL CLB AFTER TKOF, FLEW 200 FT OVER A CESSNA CITATION ON LNDG ROLL T THE RWY'S INTXN. THE CITATION HAD CALLED IN ON UNICOM DURING APCH, BUT THE TOW PLT FAILED TO HEAR THE CALL DUE TO PWR TO RADIO RECEIVER NOT BEING TURNED ON. HE ALSO DID NOT HEAR THE GLIDER OPS OFFICER CALL FOR HIM TO ABORT.

Narrative: AS THE PLT OF A 1-26 GLIDER, I NOTICED THE TOW PLANE START AND STOP HIS ENG PRIOR TO OUR LAUNCH. AFTER A RESTART, WE ATTACHED THE TOW LINE AND PROCEEDED WITH THE AEROTOW. I DID NOT HAVE A HAND-HELD RADIO AND THE GLIDER DID NOT HAVE AN INSTALLED RADIO. THE TOW PLANE HAD A RADIO AND HAD BEEN ANNOUNCING EACH TKOF ON UNICOM. HOWEVER, UNKNOWN TO ME, THE START-UP AND SHUTDOWN PRIOR TO THE LAUNCH WAS DUE TO A STICKING STARTER SOLENOID. THE TOW PLT ELECTED TO TURN OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AS A WAY OF DISABLING THE STARTER AND THAT DISABLED HIS RADIO (QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT). THE TKOF ON RWY 21 CROSSED RWY 31. PRIOR TO TKOF ROLL, A CESSNA CITATION CALLED UNICOM ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 31L. COMPLICATING COMS WERE 2 C182'S FLYING FORMATION OVER THE FIELD AND TALKING AIR-TO-AIR ON UNICOM. THE C182 INTERFERENCE DELAYED THE CITATION'S CALL. THE GLIDER OPS OFFICER NOTED THE CONFLICT OF THE CITATION'S APCH AND OUR AEROTOW TKOF ON RWY 21, AND INSTRUCTED THE TOW PLANE TO ABORT. OBVIOUSLY, WITH NO RADIO, THE TOW PLANE CONTINUED THE TKOF WHICH RESULTED IN THE AEROTOW XING OVER THE CITATION AT AN ALT OF 200 FT WHILE THE CITATION ROLLED OUT ON THE RWY. SEVERAL FACTORS COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE CONFLICT. RADIO COMS, PROPER MAINT PROCS, A STANDARD PATTERN ENTRY RATHER THAN AN EXTENDED STRAIGHT-IN. AS A RESULT, THE GLIDER SOP HAS CHANGED TO REQUIRE THE TOW PLANE TO HAVE A FUNCTIONAL RADIO AND I PERSONALLY WILL NOT OPERATE ANY ACFT WITHOUT AT MINIMUM, A PERSONAL RADIO.

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.