What happened
On May 12, 2012, a Club-Libelle 205 glider was performing a local flight via winch launch at the Roitzschjora airfield. During the initial takeoff roll on runway 28, the left wing made contact with the ground. According to eyewitness accounts, the wing remained in contact with the surface throughout the takeoff run.
As the aircraft lifted off, the left wing remained pinned to the ground, causing the glider to pitch up and enter a leftward rotation. This maneuver caused the aircraft to roll into an inverted position. At an altitude of approximately five to ten meters, the glider impacted the ground, striking with the right wing and the nose of the fuselage first. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft, the takeoff site, and the pilot's experience. The pilot was a highly experienced glider pilot with approximately 472 total flight hours and nearly 2,000 starts. The Club-Libelle 205 was found to be in a valid state of airworthiness, with its weight and balance within limits.
Investigators noted that the grass at the takeoff position was significantly long, with some blades reaching up to 30 cm, whereas regulations require takeoff areas to be kept short to prevent wingtips from catching. The investigation also looked into why the wing dipped during the launch, considering factors such as wind winch delays, improper control inputs, or cable deflection caused by the tall grass.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the left wing touched the ground during the takeoff roll and could not be raised due to the resistance from the high grass.
- The pilot failed to abort the takeoff or disconnect from the winch immediately after the wing made contact with the ground.
- The tall grass at the takeoff site created enough drag to prevent the pilot from correcting the wing's position during the launch.
- Potential contributing factors included possible interruptions in the winch acceleration or improper rudder/aileron control during the initial roll.