Fatal Glider Tow Accident at Byron Airport (N4116Y)

Accident Overview and Immediate Sequence of Events On May 9, 2020, at approximately 1319 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registration N4116Y, was destroyed in an accident at Byron Airport (C83) in Byron, California. The aircraft was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 glider tow flight when it impacted the runway, resulting in a postimpact fire. The pilot of the tow airplane was fatally injured. The glider being towed, a Schweizer SGS 1-26E, landed safely on runway 12 after the incident. The glider pilot reported that this was the second flight of the day for both pilots, following an uneventful first flight where the glider was released at 3,500 feet. During the second flight, after a normal takeoff and a slight right turn initiated by the tow pilot, the glider's canopy opened and began flapping. The glider pilot attempted to secure the canopy while controlling the aircraft, became briefly disoriented, and turned back toward the airport, where he observed the tow airplane crash at the end of the runway.