Because of strong crosswind conditions at his planned destination the pilot diverted to a nearby strip which was aligned into the prevailing wind. Although the groundspeed was low during the approach the pilot elected to use full flap for landing. Shortly after touchdown the left wing lifted and the pilot was unable to apply full corrective aileron because his knee became jammed between the control column and the flap lever. The aircraft ran off the side of the strip and struck a fence. The fence was only 28 metres from the centre-line of the strip. In his efforts to apply full aileron the pilot had lifted his left foot from the appropriate rudder pedal, which probably increased the tendency of the aircraft to diverge to the right of the strip.

Circumstances:

The pilot had received winch launch training eighteen months earlier but had not carried out any further launches until the day of the accident. His flying experience on the Libelle was restricted to two flights, some four months earlier. On the day of the accident, he underwent three winch launch check flights with a club instructor in a K7 glider, resulting in a satisfactory standard being assessed. It was reported that the pilot then prepared for a winch launch in the Libelle, which included selecting full nose down elevator trim to counter an expected nose up pitch tendency during launch. Shortly after the glider became airborne, the nose pitched up very steeply, the right wing dropped and struck the ground, resulting in the glider cartwheeling into a fence.

Following the fitment of shock absorbers to the landing gear system, the owner arranged for the designer of the aircraft to carry out a test flight. At the completion of the test flight, when the aircraft was at about 100 feet agl on the downwind leg of the circuit, the pilot heard a loud bang. He closed the throttle and landed the aircraft. The aircraft overran the strip and the nose gear failed when it contacted rough ground. Examination of the aircraft revealed that one blade of the propeller had failed in tension overload due to overspeeding. The overspeeding was caused by the inadequate pitch of the propeller blade for the type of engine used to power the aircraft.

The aircraft was making a landing 45 minutes before first light. During the landing roll a wallaby was seen bounding towards the aircraft. The animal was struck by the left maingear leg and the force of this collision resulted in portion of the wallaby being flung into the left flap. The aerodrome boundary fence is of the standard post and wire construction, which is relatively easy for wildlife to negotiate. Discussions with local residents indicate that wildlife numbers are greater in this area than they have been for some years.

During the take-off roll the right mainwheel entered an area of soft sand and sank to a depth of 230 mm. The resultant loads applied to the scissor link caused it to fail and the wheel swivelled through 180 degrees. This in turn produced flexing of the gear leg, the downlock disengaged, and the leg collapsed. The aircraft swerved to the right and came to rest just outside the flight strip. The pilot and the operating company were aware that soft areas were present on the strip. The pilot had landed and departed again during the morning without undue problems, and had made an uneventful landing shortly before this particular take-off attempt. However, on this occasion wind conditions dictated a take-off in the opposite direction to that employed earlier in the day and a soft area was encountered at a speed of about 50 knots.

The pilot had not flown the aircraft for more than two months. The destination was a private strip where he had arranged to undertake aerobatics practice. The owner of the strip, who was on-site for the pilot's arrival, advised him by radio to land into the north-east as the surface wind was down the strip at 10 - 15 knots. The pilot flew one circuit with a touch-and-go landing and assessed the strip condition as satisfactory. On the second approach the strip owner observed the aircraft not to be on the ground until about two thirds to three quarters of the strip length. The pilot reported that, because of the reduced forward view in the three point attitude, he was unsure of how far he was from the end when he touched down. However, shortly after touchdown he noticed that the aircraft was running through a waterlogged area and he then saw an electric fence ahead, marking the end of the strip. He applied full power in an attempt to go around but the aircraft swung left, striking a fencepost with the lower left wing tip. The aircraft travelled a further 81 metres before coming to rest near the top of a one metre high embankment. Although the total strip length was some 600 metres, rising ground, trees, a power line at the approach end, and a wet area at the other end, reduced the effective length such that that it was not suitable for the operation of the aircraft.

Circumstances:

After a gear down selection the nose gear "down-and-locked" indicator light failed to come on. Further efforts to obtain a down and locked indication were unsuccessful. Ground observers confirmed that the nose landing gear had failed to extend. The pilot elected to make a wheels up landing on the runway. After touch down the aircraft skidded off the runway and came to rest on its belly in soft grass. Advice was subsequently received that no positive cause could be found for the landing gear extension failure.

While conducting a local soaring flight to the north-east of Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome the pilot noticed rain approaching from the west on a broad front. He then noted that heavy rain was falling on the aerodrome but the area to the south-west of the aerodrome appeared to be clearing up. The pilot flew the aircraft towards the clear area and prepared to join the circuit for a landing on strip 27. The pilot reported that he encountered rain and heavy sink all the way back to the circuit area. He joined the circuit turning crosswind earlier than normal. Strong drift and sink were encountered so the pilot immediately turned onto final approach. He reported that when established on final approach at 75 knots the aircraft was not penetrating at all. It was then apparent that the aircraft was not going to get to the field. The pilot turned the aircraft left towards the south to avoid the aerodrome boundary fence but there were no paddocks ahead suitable for a landing. He kept the turn going until the aircraft was heading in an easterly direction away from the aerodrome to make a downwind landing. When he released the airbrakes the aircraft immediately descended rapidly. The pilot said that he could not arrest the descent and the aircraft hit the ground very heavily and broke up. This accident was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

Circumstances:

During the early part of the landing roll, the pilot felt a thump through the airframe. After the landing he inspected the landing gear but did not find any damage. The early morning sun had interfered with the pilot's clear vision of the strip. Several months later, when the aircraft was undergoing a routine periodic inspection, severe damage was found. The right main gear lower attach point was twisted. The lower wing skin and internal ribs were rippled, requiring replacement of the right wing. The Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer said that the external damage was not obvious.

It was reported that the pilot who had relatively little experience was landing in light crosswind conditions. One wingtip contacted the ground and the glider then landed heavily in a nose-low attitude.