Near midair collision between a glider and a landing tow plane.

Attributes
ACN	147695
Time
Date	199006
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1v5
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 300 msl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	147695
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was tow pilot. Entered traffic pattern, longer final approach than normal tow planes pattern. (3/4 mi). Because of windshear, ground congestion, glider on ground waiting for takeoff after I landed. A glider, (no radio) flew shorter pattern, cut ahead of me on base and final legs. He didn't see me; nor I him. I passed about 50' below him (eye witness on ground) and never saw him at all. It's possible that with my cockpit cut off angles that I couldn't have seen him. I suspect that he never checked over his shoulder for further out traffic. Glider was not radio equipped. I had been up since 2:15 am and had flown nyg, ord, den before flying tow at the boulder airport. It was my 3RD landing pattern that afternoon. I was 'on duty' from nyc hotel until ten near miss for 11 hours with about 5 1/2 to 6 hours of sleep. I was tired and had a small headache, prevent another occurrence by, cleaner windshield, all aircraft use radios, rebrief glider pilots to check further out on final approach for other aircraft, by rolling wings level on base leg and look over opp shoulder, better supervision of tow pilots and glider pilots on hazards of high density uncontrolled airport operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN A GLIDER AND A LNDG TOW PLANE.

Narrative: I WAS TOW PLT. ENTERED TFC PATTERN, LONGER FINAL APCH THAN NORMAL TOW PLANES PATTERN. (3/4 MI). BECAUSE OF WINDSHEAR, GND CONGESTION, GLIDER ON GND WAITING FOR TKOF AFTER I LANDED. A GLIDER, (NO RADIO) FLEW SHORTER PATTERN, CUT AHEAD OF ME ON BASE AND FINAL LEGS. HE DIDN'T SEE ME; NOR I HIM. I PASSED ABOUT 50' BELOW HIM (EYE WITNESS ON GND) AND NEVER SAW HIM AT ALL. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WITH MY COCKPIT CUT OFF ANGLES THAT I COULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM. I SUSPECT THAT HE NEVER CHKED OVER HIS SHOULDER FOR FURTHER OUT TFC. GLIDER WAS NOT RADIO EQUIPPED. I HAD BEEN UP SINCE 2:15 AM AND HAD FLOWN NYG, ORD, DEN BEFORE FLYING TOW AT THE BOULDER ARPT. IT WAS MY 3RD LNDG PATTERN THAT AFTERNOON. I WAS 'ON DUTY' FROM NYC HOTEL UNTIL TEN NEAR MISS FOR 11 HRS WITH ABOUT 5 1/2 TO 6 HRS OF SLEEP. I WAS TIRED AND HAD A SMALL HEADACHE, PREVENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE BY, CLEANER WINDSHIELD, ALL ACFT USE RADIOS, REBRIEF GLIDER PLTS TO CHK FURTHER OUT ON FINAL APCH FOR OTHER ACFT, BY ROLLING WINGS LEVEL ON BASE LEG AND LOOK OVER OPP SHOULDER, BETTER SUPERVISION OF TOW PLTS AND GLIDER PLTS ON HAZARDS OF HIGH DENSITY UNCONTROLLED ARPT OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.