Glider crashes after tow rope becomes entangled during winch launch

Casualties unknown • Rudolstadt, DE

A student pilot was seriously injured when a glider struck the ground during a winch launch after an abandoned tow rope became entangled in the aircraft's landing gear.

What happened

On June 20, 1998, a SZD-9 Bocian glider was performing a winch launch for a training flight at Rudolstadt. During the initial climb, the aircraft suddenly entered a steep descent and struck the ground at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The student pilot sustained serious injuries, and the glider was destroyed.

Prior to the accident, a tow aircraft (a Wilga) had landed at the airfield, taxiing across the winch launch path to reach its parking position. In doing so, the tow aircraft ran over an existing winch cable that had been laid out for a subsequent launch. The tow rope attached to the Wilga remained draped over the winch cable and was left unnoticed after the tow pilot vacated the aircraft.

As the winch launch commenced, the tension from the winch cable pulled the overlying tow rope upward. The end of this tow rope made contact with the landing gear strut of the SZD-9 Bocian, becoming tightly knotted around the gear. This sudden, rigid connection to the ground abruptly halted the glider's climb and pulled the aircraft into a nose-down attitude.

The investigation

The BFU investigation focused on the sequence of events on the runway and the coordination between the flight crew and ground personnel. Investigators examined the aircraft and found no mechanical defects; the glider was fully airworthy and properly maintained. The investigation also reviewed the actions of the tow pilot, the flight instructor, and the launch controller.

Findings

  • The primary cause of the accident was the unnoticed presence of a tow rope lying across a winch cable, which resulted from a lack of coordination and situational awareness during flight operations.
  • The tow pilot failed to clear the tow rope from the runway after taxiing, leaving it as a foreign object on the winch cable.
  • During the launch preparation, the flight instructor focused primarily on the glider and the student pilot, failing to notice the rope on the cables.
  • The launch controller signaled readiness to the winch operator without identifying the hazard on the runway.
  • The sequence of events occurred too rapidly for any party to react once the winch began pulling the cable.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by the failure to remove an abandoned tow rope from the winch cable, combined with a lack of attention from the flight instructor and launch controller, which allowed the rope to become entangled in the glider's landing gear during takeoff.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1998-06-20 Zaklady/SZD-9 accident near Rudolstadt, DE?

A student pilot was seriously injured when a glider struck the ground during a winch launch after an abandoned tow rope became entangled in the aircraft's landing gear.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1998-06-20 involved a Zaklady/SZD-9, at Rudolstadt, DE.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by the failure to remove an abandoned tow rope from the winch cable, combined with a lack of attention from the flight instructor and launch controller, which allowed the rope to become entangled in the glider's landing gear during takeoff.

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