On September 24, 1995, a Piper PA-25-235B (registration N7753Z) was involved in an aviation accident near Highland, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: a communication misunderstanding between the tow pilot and the glider pilot. Factors related to the accident were: the tow rope becoming entangled, excessive taxispeed by the tow pilot, and the unavailability of a dispatcher. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Confusion between tow pilot and glider pilots regarding tow plan and hand signals resulted in a glider pilot becoming entangled in the tow rope and being knocked to the ground when the tow plane accelerated to 15 mph.
Incident Overview
The accident occurred during glider towing operations when confusion arose between the tow pilot and the glider pilots over the plan regarding which glider would be towed by which tow plane. One glider pilot began retrieving the tow rope using an around-the-waist method instead of using a tow rope hook.
Sequence of Events
There was further confusion regarding the hand signal intended to signal the tow plane to stop. Instead of stopping, the tow plane increased its taxi speed to approximately 15 mph. As a result, the glider pilot became entangled in the tow rope and was knocked to the ground.
Organizational Factors
The soaring association did not have a dispatcher present at the time of the accident.