FREMONT, CA, USA
N88314
BELLANCA 7KCAB
N242DB
SCHWEIZER SGS 2-32
WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO LND ON RWY 28, A GLIDER (SCHWEIZER SGS 2-32, N242DB) & A TOW PLANE (BELLANCA 7KCAB, N88314) COLLIDED IN FLT AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 200' AGL. THE TOW PLANE WAS RETURNING FM A LCL TOW MISSION & THE GLIDER WAS RETURNINGFM A LCL SIGHTSEEING FLT. AFTER COLLIDING, THE 2 ACFT LNDD SAFELY. NORMAL PROCEDURES AT THE ARPT WERE FOR TOW PLANES TO FLY A LARGE PATTERN WITH A LONG FINAL APCH & FOR GLIDERS TO FLY A SMALL PATTERN WITH A SHORT FINAL. ALL TRAFFIC LNDG ON RWY 28 WAS TO USE A RIGHT PATTERN. THE TOW PLT SAW THE GLIDER AS HE (THE TOW PLT) WAS TURNING ON A LONG FINAL APCH. AT THAT TIME, HE ESTIMATED THE GLIDER WAS AT 1100' AGL & 1/2 MI IN THE TOW PLANE'S 7:30 POSITION. AS THE TOW PLANE CONTD ON FINAL APCH AT 65 MPH, THE GLIDER CONVERGED FM ABV & BEHIND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE NOSE OF THE GLIDER HIT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE TOW PLANE. THE GLIDER PLT DID NOT SEE THE TOW PLANE UNTIL THE MOMENT BFR IMPACT. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIALDAMAGE TO THE TOW PLANE'S VERTICAL STABILIZER, BUT ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
