What happened
On 13 October 2021, a Vickers Slingsby T65A Vega, registration G-EECK, was performing a winch launch from a grass runway at Portmoak Airfield, Scotland. Shortly after reaching an altitude of approximately 300 ft, the aircraft's canopy began to bounce, revealing that it had not been properly locked. The pilot released the winch cable at 500 ft and attempted to perform an abbreviated circuit to land halfway down the runway.
To prevent the canopy from detaching and potentially damaging the tail section, the pilot opened a side window and used his right hand to press down on the lower rim of the canopy. This left him controlling the glider with only one hand. During the final approach, the pilot attempted to secure the control column between his legs to free his hand to select the flaps. This maneuver caused the glider to enter a porpoising motion, leading to a loss of control. The aircraft struck the ground at a nose-down attitude, cartwheeled, and came to rest inverted in a vegetable field. The pilot sustained serious injuries, including a broken arm.
The investigation
The AAIB established that the pilot could not personally verify the canopy lock due to his physical stature and the use of a seat back, necessitating assistance from another person to check the locking indicator. On the day of the accident, the pilot's usual assistant was unavailable, so he briefed a club member on the required procedure.
Investigators found that both the pilot and the assistant were distracted by conversation during the pre-flight phase. Consequently, the cockpit checks were not completed correctly, and the canopy was not secured. The pilot later noted that a lack of recent flying practice and a sense of overconfidence contributed to the oversight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was inadequate pre-flight checks resulting from distractions during the preparation phase.
- The pilot's attempt to manage the unsecured canopy with one hand prevented him from maintaining proper control of the aircraft while configuring flaps.
- A lack of flying recency contributed to the error in judgment during the flight.
- The pilot's decision to secure the control column between his legs during the approach led to the loss of aircraft trim and subsequent loss of control.