What happened
On May 28, 2001, at 14:10, a Super Dimona glider, registration F-CHQF, was performing circuit training at the Blois aerodrome. The flight was an instructional session involving an instructor and a student pilot. During the approach for a touch-and-go maneuver, the instructor noted that the aircraft's trajectory and alignment were approximately twenty degrees to the left of the runway centerline. The instructor directed the student to apply right rudder to correct the deviation.
The aircraft touched down with the twenty-degree misalignment still present. While the instructor managed to correct the trajectory to align with the runway axis, the student pilot regained control during the subsequent acceleration phase. This led to the aircraft drifting leftward once again. Despite instructions from the instructor to correct the heading, the student failed to respond. To prevent a departure from the runway, the instructor took control of the aircraft and applied a vigorous right rudder input near rotation speed. This sudden correction induced a ground loop to the right, causing the left landing gear to collapse under the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of maneuvers during the touch-and-go and the specific control inputs made by the crew. The investigation established that the aircraft's left landing gear was bent forward and to the right, and the left wing sustained damage. The environmental conditions at the time of the accident were reported as CAVOK with a light wind from 270 degrees at 5 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the abrupt and late corrective action performed by the instructor.
- The student pilot failed to execute the requested rudder correction during the acceleration phase of the touch-and-go.
- The instructor's vigorous use of the right rudder near rotation speed triggered the ground loop.