GLIDER INSTRUCTOR; ACCOMPANIED BY A STUDENT PLT; OF A SGS2-33A LOST PITCH CTL OF THE GLIDER AFTER LIFT-OFF DURING A GND AUTO TOW RESULTING IN A HARD LNDG; BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER. HOWEVER THE STUDENT PLT RECEIVED NECK INJURIES AND THE RPTR A SORE NECK AND SHOULDER.

Date: 1998-07 · Aircraft: Sail Plane

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|other-unspecified

Synopsis

GLIDER INSTRUCTOR; ACCOMPANIED BY A STUDENT PLT; OF A SGS2-33A LOST PITCH CTL OF THE GLIDER AFTER LIFT-OFF DURING A GND AUTO TOW RESULTING IN A HARD LNDG; BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER. HOWEVER THE STUDENT PLT RECEIVED NECK INJURIES AND THE RPTR A SORE NECK AND SHOULDER.

Narrative

I WAS THE CFIG INSTRUCTING A 15 YR OLD CADET. ON OUR THIRD FLT OF THE DAY; WE WERE TAKING OFF WITH ASSISTANCE FROM A TRUCK AUTO-TOW WITH A 1500 FT ROPE. I INSTRUCTED THE TRUCK TOW DRIVER TO ACCELERATE TO 40 MPH; THEN EASE BACK AND CRUISE AT 35 MPH. SURFACE WINDS WAS 15 MPH; E. THE TKOF STARTED NORMALLY; THEN I NOTED THE LINE CAUGHT ON AN OVERGROWTH AND A SLACK WAS DEVELOPING; ALT WAS ABOUT 15-20 FT; CLB ANGLE STARTING ITS 15 DEG CLB. I STARTED TO REACH FOR THE ROPE RELEASE CTL; BUT GLIDER STARTED TO SINK. I PUSHED THE STICK FORWARD; NO RESPONSE AND THE GLIDER HIT THE GND HARD. WE BOUNCED; I COULD NOT GRAB RELEASE. THE TOW TRUCK; APPARENTLY ALSO DECELERATED AT THE SAME TIME THE SLACK STARTED. THE SPOTTER SAW THE GLIDER SINK; THE DRIVER THEN 'STEPPED ON IT' TO ACCELERATE. THE ACCELERATION PULLED THE GLIDER FORWARD AND AIRSPD INCREASED WHICH HELPED US NOT TO HIT THE GND A SECOND TIME. I STABILIZED THE GLIDER AT ABOUT 20-25 FT AND RELEASED AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG AHEAD. THE CADET WAS SAYING HER NECK HURTS AND COULD NOT MOVE IT. SHE WAS CHOPPERED BY EMS TO A HOSPITAL. THE CADET WAS FLYING THE GLIDER ON TKOF AS THIS WAS HER THIRD DAY OF ALL DAY INSTRUCTION AND HER 7TH OVERALL FLT. TOW DRIVER AND SPOTTER WAS NEW TO TOW DRIVING; BEING TRAINED THAT DAY. FAA WAS ON THE FIELD AND WAS AT THE SITE IN ABOUT 15 MINS AND IS CLASSIFYING THIS AS AN INCIDENT. CFIG HAS A SORE NECK AND SHOULDER. GLIDER HIT ON ITS MAIN WHEEL; A&P INSPECTION SHOWED NO DAMAGE TO GLIDER. IT WAS SIGNED OFF TO FLY AGAIN. BEFORE THE FLT I BRIEFED THE TOW DRIVER AND SPOTTER TO THE SPDS AND HOW TO DECELERATE SLOWLY TO 35 MPH. PROC HAS BEEN TO ACCELERATE TRUCK; THEN MOVE IT L FROM THE GRASS AREA TO A HARDER SURFACE ON L FOR RUNNING CRUISE; THIS MOVE MAY HAVE ADDED TO SLOWING THE TOW. WE NEED TO INSPECT THE LINE ON THE GND BEFORE TKOFS TO AVOID IT BEING CAUGHT ON ANYTHING ON GND. TRAINING OF DRIVER AND STUDENT PLT INSTRUCTION MAY NOT BE A GOOD COMBINATION.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.