What happened
On July 15, 2012, at approximately 14:22 local time, an Eiri Avion PIK 20 D glider departed from runway 22 at Purkshof Airfield, Germany, performing a local circuit flight via a tow from an Avins Robin DR 400/180 R.
Shortly after takeoff, the glider pilot noticed a loss of elevator functionality. Witnesses observed the glider's angle of attack increasing at an altitude of approximately 30 meters, at which point the tow rope disconnected. The pilot stated that they had manually released the rope. Following the release, the glider entered a steep descent with a pitch angle of approximately 35 degrees. The pilot attempted to use the spoilers to manage the descent, retracting them shortly before impact.
The glider struck the left edge of the runway approximately 744 meters from the runway threshold. The impact caused the cockpit canopy to detach and the left landing gear door to break off. The aircraft slid approximately 60 meters before coming to rest. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the glider was heavily damaged.
The investigation
The BFU investigation focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft and the pre-flight procedures. Investigators examined the wreckage of the Eiri Avion PIK 20 D and found that the elevator control rod connection at the L'Hotellier coupling was disconnected. While the securing pin was found in its designated hole, the connection itself was not engaged.
Prior to the flight, the pilot had been preparing the glider for flight approximately three hours before takeoff. After mounting the wings, the pilot continued the assembly process alone. This involved connecting the control surfaces and taping the connection points. The investigation established that during this process, the pilot failed to reconnect the elevator control.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure to connect the elevator control rod to the L'Hotellier coupling during aircraft assembly.
- The pilot performed the final assembly steps alone, which contributed to the oversight.
- No control check (rudder/elevator test) was performed with an assistant following the assembly of the control surfaces.