Cessna 172A N9890T

Summary

On 20 October 1996 at about 17:27 local time, a Cessna 172A registered N9890T was involved in an accident near Lebanon, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 October 1996 at 17:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Lebanon, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.4199, -84.2099

Aircraft

Cessna 172A

Registration

N9890T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD97LA009

1 person died.

improper aircraft handling by the tow pilot and/or the glider pilots, which allowed the tow plane and glider to get out of position with one another; and failure of the aircrews (in both aircraft) to ensure a timely release of the glider tow rope.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of flight (flt) was to demonstrate tow release failure of a glider from a tow plane & to land under tow. The flt instructor (CFI) in the glider said the standard procedure for the tow plane was to depart with 10 deg of flaps & to turn left after takeoff. He said the tow pilot took off with 20 deg of flaps & made a right turn, then entered a steep turn to the left. Also, he said that during the steep turn, slack developed in the tow rope. The CFI tried to disconnect the tow rope, but was unable. The student said the rope became 'taught pulling up on the tow plane's tail.' The student then actuated the release; this time the rope released. The tow plane continued the left turn, nosed down, & struck the ground. The glider was landed uneventfully. Neither the tow plane nor the glider was equipped with a radio. Exam of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failure of the tow plane's flt controls or engine; 30 feet of tow rope was found attached to the tow plane, which had failed under tension. Two witnesses reported that the tow plt's hands always shook. One witness said his hands were shaking 'excessively' on the day of the accident. During toxicology tests, an undetermined amount of metoprolol was detected in the tow plt's blood & urine. Metoprolol is a medication that is frequently approved by the FAA for use by pilots with high blood pressure; drugs like metoprolol may also be used to treat a tremor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.