Accident Overview
On August 2, 2009, at approximately 1139 Pacific daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Discus CS glider, registration N7HV, collided with terrain while maneuvering near the Williams Gliderport (CN12) in Williams, California. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, received serious injuries. The glider sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was filed. The accident occurred as the flight was originating.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that his glider (the trail glider) and another glider (the lead glider) were being towed simultaneously by a single tow plane. The lead glider was attached with a 200-foot rope, while the trail glider used a 300-foot rope. After takeoff, the lead glider began to descend back toward the runway; its pilot elected to release from the tow plane due to a slack-line condition. The trail pilot saw that his tow rope had moved under the lead glider's right wing and that his own glider and the tow plane were ascending. Fearing his rope could pull the lead glider's right wing up and cause a ground loop, the trail pilot released his tow rope. He stated, "Instinctively, I turned right immediately after releasing from the tow plane, then realized that I did not have enough airspeed or altitude to return to the airport. I tried to level my wings but my right wing tip struck the ground." The glider came to rest upright in a rice field east of the runway. Substantial damage was noted to the right wing and empennage.
Lead Glider Pilot Statement
In a statement to the investigator-in-charge, the lead glider pilot reported that he was connected to the shorter tow rope, while the accident trail glider was on the longer rope, positioned aft and to the right of his glider. After takeoff, he encountered a slack line and performed a precautionary release, cleared to the left, and landed uneventfully off the west side of the runway. After landing, he observed the accident glider strike the ground with its right wing tip, heading in a southerly direction, about 100 yards east of the departure runway.