What happened
On April 14, 2013, a Schleicher ASW 27-18 E motor glider, registration PH-1493, was performing a local flight at Eindhoven Airport. The flight began with a winch launch, and the pilot intended to practice landings in this specific aircraft type. During the flight, the pilot received a collision warning from the FLARM system indicating another glider nearby. While attempting to increase his field of vision by shifting his body position in the cockpit, the aircraft entered a spin.
After recovering from the spin, the pilot found himself at a very low altitude. Due to the loss of height, the pilot executed a flawed approach pattern. While performing a steep turn to enter the final approach leg, the left wingtip struck the ground. The impact caused the fuselage to break in two places and the tail to detach. The pilot sustained a vertebral fracture and an ankle injury.
The investigation
way The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) examined the pilot's experience, the aircraft configuration, and the flight sequence. The investigation noted that the pilot had very limited experience with this specific model, having flown it only once before, nearly seven months prior. The investigation also looked into the aircraft's flap settings and trim position. It was noted that the pilot had left the flaps in position 5, which is intended for thermalling rather than the approach phase. Furthermore, the investigation analyzed the pilot's maneuvers following the spin recovery, specifically the decision-making regarding the landing pattern and the delayed deployment of the landing gear.
Findings
- The aircraft entered a spin because the pilot failed to recognize an impending stall and did not react adequately.
- The spin was likely triggered by the pilot unintentionally increasing the aircraft's nose-up attitude while shifting his body position to look for another aircraft.
- The pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft's flap and trim characteristics contributed to the loss of control.
- Following the spin recovery, the pilot executed an improper flight pattern, which led to a steep, low-altitude turn that caused the wingtip to strike the ground.