Accident Details
On August 5, 2017, about 1350 eastern daylight time, a Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G-102 Club Astir IIIB glider, registration N102BK, collided with a tree and terrain after releasing from its tow airplane at Marion Municipal Airport (MNN) in Marion, Ohio. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the glider was substantially damaged. The glider was owned by the Central Ohio Soaring Association, Inc., and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was a local departure from MNN.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that he made an error during his before-takeoff checks and forgot to latch the canopy. After climbing a "few hundred feet," the canopy came open. While attempting to close the canopy, he lost sight of the Cessna 150 tow airplane, so he released the tow line and turned right. He attempted to land in a bean field, but the glider struck a tree and then impacted the field.
In a later interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot said he heard air noise in the cabin during takeoff and thought the canopy had become unlatched. He tried to check the canopy handle during takeoff and climb while still under tow. In his report to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot stated, "We should not have let the need for a rapid departure overlook the need to make sure that the checklists are completed. And most important, fly the airplane." He indicated that the glider had no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Witness Observations
A witness who observed the glider during the accident flight reported that both the left and right-wing spoilers were extended and visible from the ground. He noted that the glider and tow airplane could not climb normally with the spoilers extended. The glider released from the tow airplane at about 150 to 200 feet above ground level (agl) and attempted a 180-degree turn back to the runway with the spoilers still deployed. The glider's wing clipped a tree and then crashed in a bean field.
The tow airplane pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he felt the tow airplane being "jerked around" by the glider. He saw the glider in a high nose-up attitude, and then the tow line released around 150 feet agl. The tow airplane continued climbing straight ahead, returned to MNN, and landed. After landing, the tow pilot inspected the tow line; it and the tow ring were undamaged and still attached to the airplane.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the glider at the accident site. The spoilers were found in the open or deployed position. Maple leaves were present in the bottom of the spoiler wells. The right wing showed impact damage about mid-span. Flight controls were damaged consistent with impact forces. The canopy attachment pins and surrounding composite material were torn from the fuselage at impact. The canopy attachment handle and bayonet pins operated properly. Damage to the canopy was consistent with it being in the latched position at impact.
At 1353, the surface weather observation at MNN was: wind from 280 degrees at 9 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 24°C; dew point 12°C; altimeter 30.06 inches of mercury.