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Atlas / NTSB / MIA85LA167

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA85LA167

1985-05-07 WINTER HAVEN, Florida, United States Airport · GIF None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

A SCHEMPP-HIRTH VENTUS B, N40EE, WAS POSITIONED ON RWY 29 TO BE TOWED ON A COMPETITION GLIDER FLT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT BEFORE STARTING HIS TAKEOFF, THE TOW PLANE WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT OF THE GLIDER. THE WIND WAS FROM 030 DEG AT 8 KTS. AS THE TAKEOFF COMMENCED, THE GLIDER WAS PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE GLIDER'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE RWY, FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT WING, THEN THE GLIDER SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE GLIDER PLT RELEASED THE TOW LINE, BUT THE GLIDER CONTINUED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA 305A, N54550, THAT WAS RETURNING FROM ITS 4TH TOW MISSION & WAS TAXIING ABOUT 75 FT TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_MIA85LA167.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.