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NYC90LA193

1990-08-14 · ERWINNA, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 9N1

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE TOW LINE AT LOW ALTITUDE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

Factual narrative

DURING TAKEOFF ROLL THE TOW ROPE BECAME SLACK AND AS THE GLIDER STARTED ITS INITIAL CLIMB OUT TO ABOUT 50 FEET A.G.L. THE ROPE SLIPPED AFT OFF OF THE TOW HOOK. DURING THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING, THE NOSE TOUCHED A HIGH MOUND OF DIRT, DROPPING THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE GLIDER SKIDDED ABOUT 40 FEET ON THE RIGHT WING COMING TO REST IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF LANDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC90LA193.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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