Piper PA-25-235 N8514L accident near Warren, Vermont

Probable cause

The glider pilot’s failure to avoid the tow plane after the aborted takeoff due to both pilots’ failure to review the aborted takeoff procedure before the flight, which led to both pilots turning right after the aborted takeoff.

NTSB analysis

A glider collided with a tow plane on the runway following an aborted glider-tow flight. The tow plane pilot said that, during the takeoff roll with the glider in tow, he noticed fuel spraying onto the windscreen. He estimated that the airplane was about 40 percent of the way down the runway, noted that it was still on the ground, and believed that sufficient runway remained for both aircraft to abort the takeoff, so he chose to abort the takeoff. When he aborted the tow, he announced his intention over the radio and turned the airplane right to clear the runway for the trailing glider. The glider pilot said that, when the takeoff was aborted, he turned the glider right but that he was unable to avoid the tow plane in front of him because it had also turned right into the glider's path. The glider overtook the tow plane, and its left wing passed through the tow plane's propeller arc, and its tail section collided with the airplane's right wing and then separated from the glider. Both pilots stated that they had not discussed the aborted takeoff procedure before the flight. The tow plane pilot reported that the aborted takeoff procedure at the accident airport called for the tow plane pilot to turn right and for the glider pilot to land straight ahead. The glider pilot reported that the aborted takeoff procedure at his home airport called for glider pilot to turn right.

Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with either airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The tow plane pilot reported that the airplane had been serviced with fuel before takeoff and that it was fuel that had spilled during the servicing that sprayed onto his windscreen during the takeoff. He added that the airplane did not have a fuel leak before or after the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA022 for the full record.