Narrative:

Tow plane released the glider approximately 5 mi out and made a radio call: 'telluride traffic, tow plane over the ski area inbound for runway 27, telluride.' cherokee radioed taxi for runway 27, #2 for departure. Tow plane reported 3 mi left base for runway 27 in the same format as above. At that time I noted a beech jet in the run-up area and a small aircraft on the parallel taxiway. Beech jet radioed he was ready to roll, tow plane radioed it would slow up to let beech jet depart, then follow him in. Beech jet departed runway 27. Tow plane radioed: 'telluride traffic, tow plane, half mi left base, runway 27, telluride.' tow plane radioed, 1/4 mi final for runway 27, same format. At this point piper cherokee taxied from the run-up area onto runway 27 and made a radio call 'aircraft Y departing runway 27.' tow plane was now rounding out over the paved overrun area about 3 ft off the ground with 200 ft of tow rope dragging along the ground. Tow plane was too low to pass over the top of cherokee, so I banked hard left and passed beside the cherokee in a very steep bank, full throttle, retracting the flaps. Tow plane missed the cherokee's left wing by 30-50 ft. The tow rope trailed much closer. The tow rope also broke a $350 runway end identify light. Tow plane radioed 'tow plane going around runway 27,' continued through a 360 degree turn and landed. Cherokee radioed 'oops, sorry tow plane,' and departed runway 27. Glider radioed 'glad that wasn't me with no motor.' line crew radioed something like 'quick reactions tow plane,' 'holy shit,' etc. Tow plane and someone else asked for pilot's name, got no answer. Tow plane's approach pattern was directly in front of aircraft Y's windshield. Aircraft was on frequency before and after the incident, and was never on ZDV frequency or on 122.8.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 TOW PLANE SUFFERS AN NMAC AT TEX, CO. WHEN BARELY 3 FT OVER THE END OF RWY 27, A PA28 IN THE RUN-UP PAD PULLS OUT ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF HIM. PLT EVADES BUT TOW ROPE BREAKS A REIL LIGHT AT RWY'S END.

Narrative: TOW PLANE RELEASED THE GLIDER APPROX 5 MI OUT AND MADE A RADIO CALL: 'TELLURIDE TFC, TOW PLANE OVER THE SKI AREA INBOUND FOR RWY 27, TELLURIDE.' CHEROKEE RADIOED TAXI FOR RWY 27, #2 FOR DEP. TOW PLANE RPTED 3 MI L BASE FOR RWY 27 IN THE SAME FORMAT AS ABOVE. AT THAT TIME I NOTED A BEECH JET IN THE RUN-UP AREA AND A SMALL ACFT ON THE PARALLEL TXWY. BEECH JET RADIOED HE WAS READY TO ROLL, TOW PLANE RADIOED IT WOULD SLOW UP TO LET BEECH JET DEPART, THEN FOLLOW HIM IN. BEECH JET DEPARTED RWY 27. TOW PLANE RADIOED: 'TELLURIDE TFC, TOW PLANE, HALF MI L BASE, RWY 27, TELLURIDE.' TOW PLANE RADIOED, 1/4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 27, SAME FORMAT. AT THIS POINT PIPER CHEROKEE TAXIED FROM THE RUN-UP AREA ONTO RWY 27 AND MADE A RADIO CALL 'ACFT Y DEPARTING RWY 27.' TOW PLANE WAS NOW ROUNDING OUT OVER THE PAVED OVERRUN AREA ABOUT 3 FT OFF THE GND WITH 200 FT OF TOW ROPE DRAGGING ALONG THE GND. TOW PLANE WAS TOO LOW TO PASS OVER THE TOP OF CHEROKEE, SO I BANKED HARD L AND PASSED BESIDE THE CHEROKEE IN A VERY STEEP BANK, FULL THROTTLE, RETRACTING THE FLAPS. TOW PLANE MISSED THE CHEROKEE'S L WING BY 30-50 FT. THE TOW ROPE TRAILED MUCH CLOSER. THE TOW ROPE ALSO BROKE A $350 RWY END IDENT LIGHT. TOW PLANE RADIOED 'TOW PLANE GOING AROUND RWY 27,' CONTINUED THROUGH A 360 DEG TURN AND LANDED. CHEROKEE RADIOED 'OOPS, SORRY TOW PLANE,' AND DEPARTED RWY 27. GLIDER RADIOED 'GLAD THAT WASN'T ME WITH NO MOTOR.' LINE CREW RADIOED SOMETHING LIKE 'QUICK REACTIONS TOW PLANE,' 'HOLY SHIT,' ETC. TOW PLANE AND SOMEONE ELSE ASKED FOR PLT'S NAME, GOT NO ANSWER. TOW PLANE'S APCH PATTERN WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ACFT Y'S WINDSHIELD. ACFT WAS ON FREQ BEFORE AND AFTER THE INCIDENT, AND WAS NEVER ON ZDV FREQ OR ON 122.8.

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.