Thread shift- Towing accidents

[Hank Nixon]

The thread Mike started has gone, predictably, to the issue of tow releases.

I would like to look at a couple of other issues.

Most (almost all) low level kiting accidents can be attributed to pilot error on the part of glider pilot. They are almost all attention related.

These, I'll break into two types.

1- Surprise events that cause the pilot to be momentarily distracted from the basics of flying in the correct position. A very common one is a canopy coming open. Another is improperly set trim. Another is seat shift. Another is airbrakes popping open. Flaps set wrong. A bee in the cockpit. The list of these can fill a page.

The majority of these events are avoidable by use of a pre takeoff check list.

In every one of these events the critical thing is to fly the glider first and deal with the event later at a safe altitude. Most gliders fly just fine with an open. likely broken canopy.

2 The second is one not often talked about. It is the choice to divide attention on tow to do some other task. Fix the glide computer setting that is wrong. Adjust the air vent. Move something in the cockpit. Raise the landing gear. I'll admit to doing all of these at some time. Never at low altitude. 

But here is my resolution and I invite others to join.

Do not do anything on tow, at any altitude, other than fly perfect position, until off tow.

All those other things can wait.

FWIW

UH

[Roy Bourgeois]

Do not do anything on tow, at any altitude, other than fly perfect position, until off tow.

I begin my comments by emphasizing Hank's - so they are not lost. 

Some of these distraction  accidents are caused by dropped or falling objects and the fear that they will jam something. Suction cup mounts on the canopy are a prime culprit.  Suction cup mounts belong in automobiles where you can pull over to the roadside and fix them.  Get rid of them in favor of a professional installation of a Ram type mount on the panel. 

More of these distraction accidents are caused by side hinged canopies opening (because they were not latched) in the first   100 feet of tow.   You will get a mouthful of fresh air but just fly the glider.  At a safe altitude (+ 1500 ft) a side hinged canopy can be closed in flight without taking your hands off the controls.  Just apply some rudder on the non-hinged side.

ROY

[David Cleveland]

I couldn't agree more. A takeoff checklist and don't do anything else until you are off tow. It's not that hard. You have the tow pilots life in your hands. Literally.

DC

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[Kirk Stant]

The flip side of this is that as a towpilot, plan on the idiot on the other end of the string trying to kill you. Watch him like a hawk, especially if you don't personally know the pilot. During takeoff be sping loaded for any deviation by the glider that could result in a problem: wing drop at the start due to lazy wingrunner or tailwind takeoff; ground loop due to glider wing dropping and perhaps catching in tall grass; erratic or sudden takeoff by the glider, etc. This makes takeoffs challenging because you have to monitor what is in front of you AND what is going on behind you - constantly. Big mirrors help, here are what the ones in our Pawnees look like:
With these babies I can constantly watch the glider just by refocusing on the mirror, no need to turn my head, and sudden changes in the glider's postion are immediately apparent.

Also, as others have noted, get a good tow release handle and Tost (or equivalent) towhook:

It's important to practice moving hand from thottle to the release until it is instinctive - good idea to do it before starting every tow, just in case.

And if ANY gliderpilot does ANYTHING during the tow that is of concern - track him down after he lands and figure out what happened and how to prevent it. Often he will come to you first (if he knows he did something stupid) but some pilots won't - and they MUST be debriefed on their actions so they learn from their errors/experiences and hopefully don't repeat them.

Final bit of preaching: Install ADS-B out in your towplane, and a PowerFLARM of some sort. I've been using a PowerFLARM Flex (see photo above) and it works great for keeping track of traffic around the airport and transient traffic zipping through out airspace. Doesn't replace a good lookout - but every bit helps!

Kirk

66

[David S]

Mounting safety equipment on the top of the panel is a tough trade-off.  The rounded top softens the blow to your head in a crash, or so says one pilot who had the experience.  The hardware mounted there is going to hurt a bit more, but then again it might help avoid an accident.

   ...david

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[Kirk Stant]

The mirror and RAM mounts are probably softer in a crash than the metal panel! I'll take my chances - I prefer to avoid a crash actively (and rely on shoulder harness to stop hitting the panel).

At least it isn't a GoPro camera!

Kirk

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[John Godfrey]

All of these proscriptive observations are nice (but the real meta-message is “see what an expert "I" am”).

Where is the standardized ab-initio and recurrent training discipline for pilots and instructors that addresses the necessary proficiency?

 Let’s get down to where the SSA and SSF fail miserably here:

• No standardized USA training syllabus
• No  standardized USA operating standards
• No defined required pilot proficiency criteria or training interval

 Each so-called expert will explain why the procedures and training at their site are just a bit different for “very good reasons.” Whether it is towing position, ground signals, training syllabus everyone is super confident about why they are better.

The airlines learned long ago the value of standardization and recurrent training to a defined level of proficiency. The safety record over time reflects this.

 As told to me:

“Why isn’t the SSF focused on the epidemic of tow pilot killings. We have developed a culture of ignoring and explaining away acts of stupidity and pilot error accidents. We mumble something about “Pilot in command doing what they need to do” and ignore the deficiencies in our training culture and the pilots’ skill sets. I guess one could justify that attitude when it’s just the pilot hurting themselves, but what has been happening to tow pilots in recent years is no less than negligence at best, manslaughter at minimum, and perhaps murder.”

[Tom Seim]

I don't care how much training you do, how many checklists you have, and/or how many exhortations of "fly the glider" you shout, sooner or later a glider pilot will screw up and kite. What is needed is a fool-proof way of releasing the rope at the towplane. One thought is a pneumatic cylinder coupled to a high pressure cylinder and valve. Push a button and the pneumatic cylinder pulls the release. Another possibility is an electrical solenoid triggered by an electrical contactor. Some solenoids can produce hundreds of pounds of force. These would work in parallel with the normal release, so no STC would be required.

Tom 2G

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[Hank Nixon]

I am strongly in the pilot performance training camp. Improved margins can be achieved from where we are. 

SSF should take the lead on bringing this issue to member and instructor attention as a very high priority .

That said there is an obvious opportunity to define, design, develop, and implement an automated emergency release mechanism.

My opinion is that it should not require the pilot to identify, decide, and act. The lost time is critical.

I see this as an actuator that pulls the release based upon a defined set of inputs.

This would be in addition to existing pilot controls.

Some variables could be:

Power condition.

Elevator position

Airplane speed.

Rate of change of airplane speed.

Tug pitch attitude and rate of change of same.

Rope angle vector

Other- to be defined

Purely mechanical systems have been tried before and abandoned.

I would take a very well thought out user specification to define a potential system, which almost certainly would have variable elements that would vary by tow ship.

With modern sensors and processors this could be done.

It also must be designed to work in a rugged environment.

I do not think it is easy.

It will require a lot of testing.

 
See what an expert I am!

UH

[Mark Mocho]

Hank- Yes, an automated system as you describe is possible, but who could afford to develop and test a system like this? On paper, many of the variables can be identified to some extent. But implementing a sensor-based mechanical release is a rather daunting challenge. Many assumptions about line tension, line angle, elevator position vs. vertical speed and AoA parameters may not be easy to define as they relate to a hazardous out-of-position glider/towplane situation. Simulator-based scenarios can be a great tool, but relating the data and results to a real-world situation will still require extensive testing. The expense of development and testing for the limited number of actual users is likely to drive the cost out of range for the majority of clubs and commercial operators worldwide. Even worse would be an early version being mandated by EASA and/or FAA. 

I believe better results could be achieved at lower cost by implementing a more accessible and reliable towplane release in the cockpit, coupled with enhanced training of tow pilots and glider pilots at both ends of the rope.

[Roy Bourgeois]

[Warning: satire]

Friends

I am very much of the position that any "un-commanded release" system will created more problems than it will solve. But assuming I am wrong  (as I frequently am) I find it fascinating that every idea for such a system that I read about would release the rope at the tow plane end.  But if you think about it,  in the common kiting accident the glider is much higher than the tug and survives the event just fine (after crashing the tow plane). So, why not design an un-commanded release system for the glider end of the rope?  Or inside the glider release?   Gee, that might even focus the glider pilot on paying attention to the tow and keeping in position . . . . That might be helpful too. . . ..

Just my 2 cents 

Roy (not an expert, but 52 years on both ends of the rope).