Summary
On 26 August 2017, a SZD-51-1 Junior glider was involved in an accident during a winch launch at Grudziądz-Lisie Kąty airfield (EPGI). The glider sustained damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and dorsal spine. The pilot was uninjured.
Accident Details
The accident occurred during the 45th Polish Junior Gliding Championships, held from 19 to 27 August 2017. Winch launches for the third competition in the Klub B class were conducted on the northern side of the runway, heading 310°. After hooking the northern winch line to the glider, the pilot reported ready for takeoff. At 12:05 LMT, following a short takeoff run, the right wingtip contacted the ground, causing a loss of direction approximately 20° from the start axis. The pilot did not respond by releasing the winch line. After a few more meters, the wingtip was hindered by taller grass in an unused part of the airfield. Shortly after the glider lifted off to a slight height, it rotated about 70–80° to the right. The pilot released the winch line when the right wing was on the ground and the main wheel was in the air. The glider then touched down and, after traveling a few meters, stopped, rotated approximately 150–160° from the start direction.
Damage
As a result of the accident, the fuselage was damaged just behind the trailing edge of the right wing, the tail boom was damaged on the left side, and the dorsal spine above the spar was damaged.
Pilot Information
The pilot had a total flight time of 178 hours and 8 minutes (193 flights), including 164 hours and 17 minutes of solo flight (52 hours in the 2017 season). The pilot had conducted eight winch launches in the previous 24 months. A police patrol tested the pilot for breath alcohol, with a negative result.
Causes and Contributing Factors
The accident investigation reported the following causes:
- Contact of the right wingtip with the ground during the takeoff run.
- Pilot error in not releasing the winch line.
Contributing factors were:
- Limited training of the pilot in the winch launch method, resulting in a delayed reaction and line release.
- Taller grass on the unused part of the airfield.
Preventive Actions
The operator discussed the accident with student pilots, pilots, and instructors during briefings as well as during the annual flight safety conference. No safety recommendations were formulated.