or any other premature termination of tow, can occur at any point during an aerotow launch. If this occurs, the glider pilot must maintain control of the glider, immediately set a normal glide attitude, and maneuver the glider to execute a safe landing. Low altitude emergencies leave the pilot **very** little time to process and react, so it is critical the pilot brief all possible outcomes in the [[Before Takeoff Check#Emergency Plan]] prior to initiating the launch. This type of emergency falls into 5 possible phases of the aerotow launch. ![[GFH OLD towline break.png]] ### Causes A towline break can be caused by: - Poor [[Launch Equipment#Tow Rope]] condition (excessive wear, knots, etc) - Incorrect towline or [[Launch Equipment#Safety Links/Weak Links]] used - Poor pilot technique, resulting in [[Slack Line]] or excessive towline tension - Pilot distraction and loss of control due to [[Canopy or Dive Brakes Open]], etc - Environmental factors, such as turbulence, wind shear, etc - Intentional towline break, during [[Towhook Release Failure]] Other reasons for premature termination of tow include: - [[Towplane Power Loss]], or other towplane emergency, resulting in [[Visual Signals]] to release - Accidentally pulling release - Improper towline attachment, or release mechanism failure - Intentional release during training ### Towline break prior to towplane liftoff - Tow pilot should either continue the takeoff, or abort the takeoff and maneuver the towplane to the left side of the runway - Glider pilot should pull release, land straight ahead, and be prepared to maneuver right to avoid towplane ### Towline break with insufficient altitude for 180° turn - Generally "below 200ft", however, this will vary with runway dimensions and distance remaining, surrounding terrain/obstructions, wind conditions, etc - If there is sufficient runway remaining, use dive brakes and wheel brakes as necessary to stop on the remaining runway - If there is not sufficient runway remaining, land "straight ahead", within ~30° of the runway, in the most suitable area available, use dive brakes and wheel brakes as necessary - If there is no suitable terrain available ahead, slow the glider as much as possible prior to touchdown ### Towline break with sufficient altitude for 180° turn, but insufficient altitude for abbreviated pattern - Generally "between 200ft and 800ft", however, this will vary with maneuvering area/altitude requirements, runway dimensions, surrounding terrain/obstructions, wind conditions, other traffic, etc - Low altitude turning hazards: stall/spin/I-LOC, wingtip strike/cartwheel - The towplane generally drifts downwind after takeoff. After setting normal glide attitude, execute 45° banked turn into the wind to align with the runway, in the opposite direction of the takeoff - Avoid shallow bank angles: turn radius and total altitude loss will both be increased - Avoid excessively steep bank angles: risk of accelerated stall at unrecoverable altitude - Perform [[Downwind Landing]] ![[Bill Palmer 180 turn vs altitude loss.png]] ### Towline break with sufficient altitude for abbreviated pattern, below pattern altitude - Depending on the airport layout, altitude, wind conditions, etc, the pilot may elect to perform an abbreviated [[Traffic Pattern]] for the same runway, or a different runway than used during takeoff ### Towline break above pattern altitude - Maneuver away from the towplane - Turn toward the airport - If altitude is still sufficient and no other abnormal conditions exist, pilot may elect to search for lift, or return for landing ### Pull the release? Different organizations and instructors have differing philosophies concerning the prospects of pulling the release after a towline break. Releasing the towline mitigates the risk of the towline becoming tangled on any obstructions during approach/landing; however, the falling towline and tow ring could endanger persons/property on the surface, and may not be found or recoverable after landing. ### Landing with towline attached The pilot may have no choice but to land with towline attached, such as in a [[Towhook Release Failure]]. Leaving the towline attached carries the risk of the towline becoming tangled on any obstructions during approach/landing; this can be mitigated by overflying any obstructions by at least 200ft during approach, as most aerotow ropes are 200ft long. ### Turning performance during emergencies For more on turning performance during emergencies and in general, see the following video: [<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xhoOwKM7pOA?si=JumD5OMgQq62b4FE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>]