CHI86LA186

Factual narrative

THE GLIDER WAS BEING TOWED FOR TAKEOFF BEHIND A TOW PLANE. ACCORDING TO THE GLIDER INSTRUCTOR, THE INITIAL ACCELERATION APPEARED NORMAL. AS THE TOW PLANE AND THE GLIDER NEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE GLIDER INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THE TOW PLANE WAS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM ACCELERATING TO TAKEOFF SPEED, SO HE RELEASED THE TOW LINE AT AN ALTITUDE OF APRX 5 FT. HE THEN TURNED FOR AN AREA FOR LANDING AND THE GLIDER TOUCHED DOWN IN A 'NOSE DOWN PANCAKE LANDING.' LATER, THE INSTRUCTOR LEARNED THAT THE SPEED BRAKES AND SPOILERS WERE FULLY DEPLOYED DURING THE ENTIRE TAKEOFF RUN & SUBSEQUENT SHORT FLIGHT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12