Pilot dead in glider tow plane crash Saturday at Front Royal Airport

Above, looking west to the right of the FRR runway over hangars and parked aircraft – the crash occurred beyond the trees to the right of the hangars; below, a fire truck leaves the scene past a WCSO unit at intersection of Ridgeway Rd. and long driveway into 1747 Ridgeway where plane went down. Photos/Roger Bianchini

According to Front Royal Airport (FRR) Manager Reggie Cassagnol, the pilot of a glider tow plane that crashed shortly after take off early Saturday afternoon died at the scene.  That scene was reported as property at 1747 Ridgeway Road.  The Warren County Sheriff’s Office still had the scene cordoned off several hours after the fatal crash.

The glider being towed aloft on a beautiful, if windy fall day was able to detach its tow line and land without injury to its occupants.  No identification of the pilot was initially available.  Cassagnol noted that emergency glider detachments are a constant part of the training regimen of the club based at the airport.

Returning from the scene mid-afternoon, Cassagnol appeared shaken.  The Skyline Soaring Club has long been a valued and active tenant at FRR.  In fact, several years ago this reporter was taken up for a glider ride by the club as background research for a story on the club and its presence at FRR.

Cassagnol theorized that at takeoff the tandem plane and glider encountered some turbulence that led to the glider rising above the tow plane and jerking the plane’s tail upward.  The incident appears to have occurred before the plane had climbed high enough to successfully correct what had suddenly turned into a nose dive at low altitude and full takeoff throttle.

Above, Airport Manager Reggie Cassagnol’s vehicle leaves the scene; below, the ‘X’ marks approximate location of crash in relation to airport on Warren County map.

One person at the airport terminal at the time of the accident said there was a gap from when they saw smoke from beyond the trees to the west of the airport and the sound of an explosion.  The plane is believed to have burned after impact.  Fire engines were at the scene, along with units from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police.

Above, county and state police units at the airport; below, it was a solemn scene inside the FRR terminal in the hours after the fatal crash.

Unconfirmed reports from the scene indicated that the 1747 Ridgeway Road property where the crash occurred belongs to the daughter of Fork District Supervisor Archie Fox.  Fox could not be reached for verification prior to publication of this story.

Warren County Fire & Rescue got the call for an airplane crash in the vicinity of FRR and Ridgeway Road  at  1:30 p.m.   Responding units included Engines 2, 1, Tankers 8 and 9, Medic 1, Chief 100.

Further details will be added to this story as they become available.

From Ridgeway Rd. looking east back down the runway the tow plane and glider were departing westward from. The entrance to the accident scene is about a third of a mile further down Ridgeway to left of photo.