Synopsis
On August 23, 2009, at about 1625 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-25 tow airplane, N6353Z, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control and collision with terrain approximately half a mile north of the departure end of runway 33 at Hobby Field Airport, Creswell, Oregon. Scotty Air of Creswell operated the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated at Hobby Field Airport and involved towing a glider.
Accident Sequence
The glider, a Schweizer (N65974), was piloted by a student on his second solo flight. The glider pilot reported the takeoff, lift-off, and climb to 200 feet were normal. Shortly after reaching 200 feet, he heard a loud bang and saw that the rear door of his glider was unlatched. He noticed the glider was above the normal tow position and the tow airplane was at his 11 o'clock position. He pushed the stick forward to regain proper position, observed slack in the tow line, and the tow airplane descended below his view. The tow airplane appeared to be in a 10-degree nose-down attitude before release. The glider pilot released the tow line, turned 180 degrees back toward the airport, and landed without incident.
Witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff, the glider appeared to overtake the tow airplane. One witness stated the tow airplane seemed slow and, at about 20 feet above ground, it abruptly nosed over and impacted terrain.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 41, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land privileges. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on September 25, 2008, with no limitations. His logbook indicated total flight time of approximately 511 hours, with the last entry on August 17, 2009, recording 1 hour of glider tows. In the preceding 30 days, he flew about 11 hours in the accident airplane with approximately 42 takeoffs.
The single-seat, low-wing Piper PA-25 (Pawnee) was manufactured in 1961 and powered by a Lycoming O-320 engine. It was equipped with a tow hook linked to a cockpit release handle. The airframe and engine received an annual inspection on June 29, 2009, at a total airframe time of 2,955.7 hours (852.8 hours since major overhaul).
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane came to rest in an open field north of the runway and was completely consumed by post-crash fire. The tow hook remained attached to the airframe and was found locked closed around the tow ring. The tow hook mounting plate was bent upward, and the heads of two connecting bolts contacted the rudder base. The glider's end of the tow rope and ring were also present. Flight control system continuity was established at the accident site before recovery.
Engine examination revealed thermal and impact damage. Valve train and accessory gear continuity were confirmed by manually rotating the crankshaft. All cylinders developed compression. Internal bore scope inspection showed no mechanical malfunction. Magnetos sustained thermal damage and could not be tested. Spark plugs had no abnormal wear. Oil pickup screen was debris-free, and oil was present in the sump. The carburetor was broken at the flange but throttle and mixture cables were attached; disassembly showed no anomalies or leakage. The fuel inlet screen was clean. No engine anomalies were noted.
The propeller remained attached; one blade was relatively straight and the other bent aft. Both blades had chordwise scratches and polishing; one blade had leading edge gouging. The tail hook assembly and release mechanism were functionally tested and found to operate appropriately, with no anomalies.
Medical and Toxicological Findings
An autopsy performed on August 24, 2009, listed the cause of death as blunt force injuries and fire inhalation. Toxicological tests by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute detected dextromethorphan, dextrorphan, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana), and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid in various tissues. The pilot's FAA medical records indicated no history of substance dependence or abuse.