What happened
On May 25, 2024, at approximately 15:45 local time, a Blanik L-13 glider was involved in an accident during a flight day organized by the Tallinn Aeroclub at the Kuusiku airfield (EERA). The aircraft was performing a winch-assisted launch when it veered toward the left edge of the runway and struck a service vehicle parked near the runway boundary. The collision caused extensive damage to the glider, including a broken fuselage and wingtip damage, but no injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the operational conditions leading up to the launch. On the day of the incident, weather conditions were deteriorating, with wind direction shifting significantly and increasing gusts reaching 9.3 m/s. Due to the approaching weather, the flight coordinator and the pilot decided to proceed with the final planned launch without repositioning the winch to a different runway end.
Prior to the launch, the service vehicle, which had been used to transport the winch cable, was parked on a service road approximately 15 meters ahead of the glider. For this specific flight, the pilot invited an inexperienced individual, who had participated in previous flights but lacked specialized training, to assist by holding the glider's wing during the initial takeoff roll. To compensate for the tailwind component, the winch operator was instructed to accelerate the aircraft as quickly as possible during the early phase of the launch.
Findings
- The pilot did not verify that the area ahead of the aircraft was clear of obstacles before initiating the launch.
- The use of an inexperienced wing-handler may have contributed to the aircraft veering to the left.
- The aircraft's controllability was reduced during the takeoff roll due to the tailwind component.
- The pilot was not certain that the service vehicle was positioned safely relative to the glider's flight path.
- Operational pressure to complete scheduled flights before the weather worsened influenced the decision-making process.