Incident Overview
On August 8, 2009, a serious accident occurred involving a two-seat glider at the Fischbek airfield in Germany. The incident was classified as an accident under the jurisdiction of the German Federal Aviation Office (BFU). The investigation report, designated 3X123-0/09, concluded that the aircraft sustained heavy damage while one person suffered minor head lacerations.
Aircraft and Crew Details
The involved aircraft was a Schleicher ASK 21, a two-seat cantilever mid-wing glider constructed from composite materials. First certified in 1982 and owned by a club, the airframe had accumulated 1,876 flight hours at the time of the crash. The pilot-in-command was a 65-year-old male with approximately 550 total flight hours and 310 hours on this specific type. He held a valid license and instructor authorization.
Sequence of Events
The glider commenced a winch launch at approximately 15:07 local time, heading toward runway 12. During the initial ground roll, the left wing made contact with the grass surface. Witnesses observed the aircraft undergo a violent rotation around its vertical axis before briefly lifting off to a height of roughly two meters. The glider then rotated approximately 150 degrees and impacted the ground with its forward fuselage, coming to rest about 130 meters from the launch point.
Technical Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that a tension sleeve had dislodged from the Wedekind lock on the elevator linkage. This mechanical failure blocked the movement of the elevator. Although the control rod was bent and cracked near the securing mechanism, investigators determined this damage was a consequence of the impact rather than the cause. The primary factor identified was the jammed elevator resulting from the shifted tension pin.
Environmental Conditions
Meteorological conditions at the time were favorable for visual flight rules, with light cloud cover. Winds were recorded at 5 knots from 120 degrees, and the ground temperature was 28°C. No significant meteorological anomalies were noted that would have contributed to the event.