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L19 glider tow plane was holding on the runway with a glider in tow. He was waiting for preceding traffic to complete his takeoff. A C152 in traffic was told to extend his downwind but failed to understand and to do so. He intended to approach over the L19 but decided to go around.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 369473 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Sat |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hdh |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Sail Plane |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 369473 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Dillingham airfield accommodates glider and powered traffic. One of the tasks of the unicom operator is to coordinate glider and powered traffic in the pattern. The unicom operator told me to hold on the runway in the L19 tow plane with a glider attached. We were waiting for someone to complete his takeoff and clear the runway area ahead of us before starting our takeoff run. The C152 was on downwind and was told to extend his downwind leg for spacing. After I began my takeoff roll, the C152 reported that he was on short final. I was in the critical phase of towing and had to continue the takeoff. The C152 then reported that he was going around. Afterwards, I spoke with the unicom operator who indicated that he did not see the C152 until it started its low go around. The unicom operator said that he was distracted by another aircraft who was operating without a radio and had assumed that the C152 had extended his downwind for spacing. Another reason for not seeing the C152 was that it came out of the west and the sun was nearly directly behind it which made it hard for the unicom operator to see it. By the time he saw the aircraft, it was too late to do anything. I also spoke with the pilot of the C152. I had a hard time conversing with him due to his heavy accent and inability to speak english well. It appears that he is a foreign national who apparently did not understand his instructions to extend his downwind leg and/or did not exercise good judgement on his own to provide more spacing. He indicated several times during the conversation that although he saw me on the runway, he was still planning to land ahead of me simply because he had turned to the final leg.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: L19 GLIDER TOW PLANE WAS HOLDING ON THE RWY WITH A GLIDER IN TOW. HE WAS WAITING FOR PRECEDING TFC TO COMPLETE HIS TKOF. A C152 IN TFC WAS TOLD TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND BUT FAILED TO UNDERSTAND AND TO DO SO. HE INTENDED TO APCH OVER THE L19 BUT DECIDED TO GAR.
Narrative: DILLINGHAM AIRFIELD ACCOMMODATES GLIDER AND POWERED TFC. ONE OF THE TASKS OF THE UNICOM OPERATOR IS TO COORDINATE GLIDER AND POWERED TFC IN THE PATTERN. THE UNICOM OPERATOR TOLD ME TO HOLD ON THE RWY IN THE L19 TOW PLANE WITH A GLIDER ATTACHED. WE WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COMPLETE HIS TKOF AND CLR THE RWY AREA AHEAD OF US BEFORE STARTING OUR TKOF RUN. THE C152 WAS ON DOWNWIND AND WAS TOLD TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND LEG FOR SPACING. AFTER I BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL, THE C152 RPTED THAT HE WAS ON SHORT FINAL. I WAS IN THE CRITICAL PHASE OF TOWING AND HAD TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. THE C152 THEN RPTED THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND. AFTERWARDS, I SPOKE WITH THE UNICOM OPERATOR WHO INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE C152 UNTIL IT STARTED ITS LOW GAR. THE UNICOM OPERATOR SAID THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS OPERATING WITHOUT A RADIO AND HAD ASSUMED THAT THE C152 HAD EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND FOR SPACING. ANOTHER REASON FOR NOT SEEING THE C152 WAS THAT IT CAME OUT OF THE W AND THE SUN WAS NEARLY DIRECTLY BEHIND IT WHICH MADE IT HARD FOR THE UNICOM OPERATOR TO SEE IT. BY THE TIME HE SAW THE ACFT, IT WAS TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING. I ALSO SPOKE WITH THE PLT OF THE C152. I HAD A HARD TIME CONVERSING WITH HIM DUE TO HIS HVY ACCENT AND INABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH WELL. IT APPEARS THAT HE IS A FOREIGN NATIONAL WHO APPARENTLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND LEG AND/OR DID NOT EXERCISE GOOD JUDGEMENT ON HIS OWN TO PROVIDE MORE SPACING. HE INDICATED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE CONVERSATION THAT ALTHOUGH HE SAW ME ON THE RWY, HE WAS STILL PLANNING TO LAND AHEAD OF ME SIMPLY BECAUSE HE HAD TURNED TO THE FINAL LEG.
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.