What happened
On November 22, 2016, at approximately 11:35 LMT, a wave soaring operation was underway at Nowy Targ Airport (EPNT). A flight team consisting of a Husky A1A aircraft and a DG 1001 glider departed for their second flight of the day, intending to reach areas of mountain wave lift.
While the team was flying through a region of rotors characterized by significant turbulence, the glider experienced a flight path deviation of approximately 30 degrees relative to the towing aircraft. Due to the high mass and resulting inertia of the DG 1001, which limited its maneuverability, the glider pilot decided to release the tow cable to prevent the situation from worsening.
Because the tow cable was under high tension at the moment of release, the elastic energy caused the cable to snap forward, throwing it onto the left wing of the Husky A1A. The pilot of the towing aircraft notified the glider crew via radio and proceeded to land cautiously at the aerodrome. Following a post-flight inspection near the hangar, no damage was found on either aircraft.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the cable strike, specifically examining the impact of atmospheric conditions and the mechanics of the cable release. The investigation analyzed the flight dynamics of the heavy glider within the rotor zone and the physical behavior of the tensioned tow rope during the emergency release.