What happened
On 26 July 2019, a Cessna 182N was performing tow operations at the Black Diamond/Cu Nim Gliding Club airport (CEH2). The aircraft was towing a Schleicher ASK 21 dual-seat glider, which was occupied by an instructor and a student. After departing from Runway 07, the tow plane climbed to an altitude of 2000 feet above the aerodrome, at which point the glider disconnected from the tow line.
Shortly after the release, the airplane and the glider collided approximately 0.5 nm southwest of the Runway 07 threshold. The impact caused the horizontal and vertical stabilizers to separate from the Schleicher ASK 21. Following the collision, the glider entered an unrecoverable dive. The Cessna 182N sustained damage to its right wing and propeller, but the pilot was able to execute a successful forced landing on Runway 14 using idle power. The collision resulted in two fatalities, involving the instructor and student on board the glider, while the tow pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
The TSB conducted a Class 4 investigation into the collision. The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the glider's release from the tow plane and the subsequent impact between the two aircraft.