On March 16, 2020, at 1252 eastern daylight time, an experimental Schempp-Hirth K G Mini Nimbus C glider, N16MG, was substantially damaged during a glider competition held at the Seminole Lake Gliderport in Groveland, Florida. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A witness described that the glider was on the takeoff roll on runway 18 under aerotow when the left wing dipped and struck the ground, and the glider began to swerve to the left. The pilot released from the towplane and the glider departed the left side of the turf runway. The glider crossed over a paved airport road oriented parallel to the runway, and impacted an unoccupied parked pickup truck, located about 500 ft from the north end of runway 18 and about 150 ft left of the runway centerline.

The pilot reported that his glider was lined up on the left side of the runway with the left wingtip about 1 ft from the edge of the runway. Immediately after the towplane began to roll, the glider yawed to the left as the left wing dropped to the ground. As the glider approached the access road, he attempted to release from the tow plane; however, his hand slipped off the release handle. He was subsequently able to release and then attempted to turn and stop before colliding with the truck, but he was unsuccessful. He reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

The towplane pilot reported that the takeoff was performed on the east side of runway 18, and that the line up, rope hookup, and rope tensioning were normal. The wind was from the south at 12 to 15 knots. The tow pilot aborted the takeoff after he observed the glider’s release from the tow rope.

Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the glider sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, which was crushed and separated forward of the pilot’s seat. The right wing sustained leading edge impact damage that extended aft of the wing spar, between 1 and 4 ft outboard of the wing root. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the control surfaces.

The pilot reported that the truck was parked in an area where the event organizers had asked participants to not park. The truck was parked perpendicular to the runway, about 30 ft (to the east, or left) from the single-lane access road that ran parallel to the runway at the runway’s left edge. A review of the guidance materials provided to the event participants revealed a diagram (see figure) that depicted hashed areas on either side of the runway which were denoted as “landing rolloff areas” that were to be clear of personnel and vehicles during landing operations. The width of the hashed areas was not specified. The text portion of the parking guidance indicated that parking was permitted “before the launch” on either side of the runway “at the north end.” An approved trailer parking area was located about 50 ft directly east of the truck against a tree line.

Approximate location of Collision with Truck

Figure - Diagram of Facility