2017 AS+ LTD AC 4 Glider Accident at Blair Municipal Airport (N358R)

Accident Overview and Flight History On May 13, 2017, at approximately 1520 central daylight time, an experimental AS+ LTD AC 4 glider, N358R, struck the ground following a canopy malfunction during takeoff at Blair Municipal Airport (BTA) in Blair, Nebraska. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the glider suffered substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 for a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were present, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at the time of the accident. The pilot was a member of the Omaha Soaring Club, which operated from a 2,000-foot grass strip parallel to paved runway 13 at BTA. On the day of the accident, the club was launching gliders from the northwest end of the strip. Ground crew members connected and tested the towline release mechanism, which functioned normally, before signaling the towplane that the glider was ready for takeoff. The pilot of the club's Piper PA-28-235 towplane reported observing the glider pilot conduct a thorough preflight inspection. The towplane pilot stated that the glider was just becoming airborne when he felt two consecutive large tugs and observed the glider bank to the left more than normal, followed immediately by a release of tension from the tow rope. Two witnesses reported seeing the glider's canopy rotate open shortly after liftoff, with the pilot's white hat departing the aircraft. One witness observed the pilot reach up with one hand to grab the canopy before the glider underwent pilot-induced oscillations. The glider descended from approximately 20 feet above ground level, impacted the ground, and the tail separated as it bounced. The glider struck the ground again, the wings separated, and the fuselage rolled over to a stop. Another witness described the glider pitching up abruptly after the canopy opened, then pitching back down, hitting the ground flat but hard, and flipping over onto its top.