Ballasted Ventus 2a crashes after a slow tow behind an underpowered tug

The pilot of a Ventus 2a was seriously injured and the glider destroyed at Esslingen after its aerotow separated at low height. Set up for a 1,000 km flight, it took the tow still carrying water ballast after the club's usual tug was replaced by a weaker motor glider. It barely climbed — towed at 72 to 95 km/h, well under the 120 to 140 km/h its manual specifies — and the tug ended up markedly higher. Just past the airfield the weak link broke at 300 daN, far below the 525 to 680 daN the glider required, and the glider dropped away to the right into a nature reserve. No technical fault was found on either aircraft.

1. Ballasted aerotow, weaker tug: A Ventus 2a set up for a 1,000 km flight took an aerotow still carrying water ballast, the club's normal tug having been replaced by a less powerful motor glider.
2. Tow too slow for the load: The heavy glider was towed at only about 72 to 95 km/h — well below the 120 to 140 km/h its manual specifies when ballasted — and the combination barely climbed.
3. Tug high, glider mushing low: The motor glider ended up markedly higher while the glider mushed near stalling speed, only some 10 to 15 m below it at the runway end.
4. Under-rated weak link: The weak link fitted was rated 300 daN, far below the 525 to 680 daN the glider's manual required; it later broke at about 270 daN with no pre-existing damage.
5. Tow separates at low height: Just past the airfield the tow separated as the weak link broke, leaving the slow, heavy glider low and short of climbing speed.
6. Wing drops, crash in reserve: The glider dropped away to the right and struck rising ground in an adjacent nature reserve about 240 m past the runway; it was destroyed and the pilot seriously injured.