What happened
On Friday, October 3, 1997, at approximately 15:00, a Centrair 101 A glider, registered F-CHFG, was performing a local flight at the Saint-Girons aerodrome. The glider was being towed for takeoff by a single-engine aircraft.
During the takeoff roll, the nose gear unexpectedly retracted, causing the glider to continue its movement along the ground on its belly. In response to the gear failure, the pilot immediately released the tow cable, successfully terminating the takeoff attempt.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical behavior of the landing gear and the actions of the crew during the takeoff sequence. The pilot reported that the retraction was not caused by a mechanical failure of the gear mechanism itself, but rather by an accidental movement of the landing gear control lever.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the inadvertent manipulation of the landing gear control by the pilot during the takeoff roll.
- The aircraft sustained light damage as a result of the ground contact.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or any other persons involved.