Incident Overview
On 15 May 2018, at the Wrocław-Szymanów aerodrome (EPWS), a glider training flight resulted in an incident when the glider's tail skid snagged a winch cable. The glider, a SZD-50-3 Puchacz, was being towed by an Apollo Fox aircraft for a training flight. The flight was the fourth of the day, and the glider was crewed by a student pilot undergoing basic training and an instructor pilot with approximately 800 hours of total flight time. No injuries were reported, and the glider sustained damage to its tail skid.
Sequence of Events
During the pre-flight briefing, a flight director was appointed, and flights were planned to include winch launches and several towed flights for exercises at low speed, stalls, and spins. The winch launch area was set up near runway 14R, while towed takeoffs were to be performed on runway 11 due to wind direction. At 17:10 local time, the tow plane and glider began the takeoff roll. The student pilot held the control stick too far back, preventing the glider from lifting off as the tow plane became airborne after a longer-than-usual ground run. The glider's main wheel and tail skid remained on the ground. Meanwhile, a car was stretching a winch cable across the takeoff path. The cable stretching had not been announced by radio. After approximately 480 meters of ground roll, the glider's tail skid hit the cable. The instructor pilot immediately released the tow line. The glider rolled to a stop at the edge of runway 14, and the crew inspected the aircraft, finding a cut in the laminate near the tail skid fitting. The tow plane continued its flight and landed safely after a short circuit.
Causes
The incident investigation identified three causes:
1. Incorrect organization of flights, including planning simultaneous glider operations using both a winch and a tow plane on intersecting paths, and authorizing a student pilot who had only trained for winch launches to perform a towed takeoff, contrary to the training syllabus. 2. The instructor's failure to correct the student's improper takeoff technique. 3. The tow pilot initiating the takeoff without obtaining confirmation from the flight director.
Contributing Factors
Several factors contributed to the incident: the flight director did not order the car to stop during the takeoff; the stretched cable may have been less visible as it was not lying directly on the ground; and the use of the light Apollo Fox aircraft, which, combined with high grass (approximately 0.2 m tall) and a heavy glider, resulted in an extended takeoff roll.
Aftermath
The glider was grounded for inspection and repair. The operator took preventive actions: the incident was discussed with pilots; instructors received refresher training on adhering to the training syllabus; the Apollo Fox was restricted to launches only when grass is low; and flight directors were reminded to maintain heightened awareness when two launch methods are in use. No safety recommendations were issued by the commission.