The student pilot with approximately 50 hours experience was undertaking conversion onto a single-seat, higher performance glider.
About one week before the accident flight, the club flying instructor flew with the pilot in a two-seater training aircraft. During the take-off, the launch cable broke, and the pilot executed a recovery using the correct technique. The flight continued without incident and the flying instructor assessed that the pilot was fully qualified for the conversion onto the higher performance glider.
The accident flight was his second on the type, the first lasting 26 minutes.
The glider was winch launched and was observed climbing in a steep attitude from the start of the climb. At approximately 100 ft, the glider initially began a turn to the right but then commenced turning to the left. The nose dropped and the glider was observed to enter a spin before impacting the ground at a steep angle. Witnesses, experienced glider pilots, observed that immediately before descent the aircraft appeared to be losing speed.
Examination of the wreckage found no deficiencies with the glider, its structure or systems. Witnesses examining the wreckage on site found the elevator trimmed so as to give the glider maximum nose-up pitch.
Examination of the elevator trim mechanism failed to find any deficiency with the system which would have accounted for the nose-up trim setting. Additionally, analysis of the effect of the impact on the trim mechanism indicated that the impact would have had a tendency to move it into a nose-down trim setting. The reason for the nose-up elevator trim setting could not be determined.
Findings
- The pilot lost control of the glider.
- The glider entered a spin and impacted the ground.
- There was no indication of any fault in the winch launch of the glider.
- No pre-existing glider defect contributing to the accident was identified.
- The elevator trim was found in the full nose-up position.