El Paso, TX, USA
N134EK
Schleicher ASW-24E
During the aerial tow takeoff of the glider, between 50 and 100 feet agl, the tow rope broke. Witnesses observed the glider turn right, then make a left turn back towards the runway. The glider entered a steep bank to the left of approximately 90 degrees, at which time the glider stalled, impacted the ground with its left wing and nose, cartwheeled, and came to rest in an upright position. A tailwind condition existed at the time of the takeoff.
On December 16, 2001, at 1516 mountain standard time, a Schleicher ASW-24E glider, N134EK, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering at the West Texas Airport, near El Paso, Texas. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. On the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that at approximately 50 feet agl, he made a correction down to the altitude of the tow plane. "At that time it must have happened, that tow ring of tow rope to the glider broke which I didn't recognize........ My decision was to land straight ahead." According to the tow pilot, the takeoff from runway 08 was "normal," and at 100 feet agl he felt the rope break. He reported the glider pilot made a turn to the left in an attempt to make a 180 degree turn to land in the opposite direction. Witnesses reported that after the rope broke, the glider turned right in a southeast direction over the desert, then made a left turn back towards the runway. At this time, the glider's angle of bank became extremely steep, almost 90 degrees. Subsequently, the glider stalled, striking the ground near the south edge of the runway with the left wing first, then the nose. It then "cartwheeled," coming to rest in an upright position on the north side of the runway. A witness, who assisted in launching the glider, reported that at the time of the takeoff, "the weather was clear with a light wind out of the northwest (takeoff was downwind)." At 1451, El Paso Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), located 7 miles west of the accident site, reported the wind as variable at 5 knots. At 1551, El Paso ASOS reported the wind to be from 310 degrees at 11 knots.
the pilot's failure to maintain minimum airspeed for flight, resulting in an inadvertent stall while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the failure of the tow rope.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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