Twin II Acro clips bushes on a field landing after a winch cable break

A student pilot was seriously injured and a Twin II Acro heavily damaged in an off-field landing after a winch cable broke at Augsburg. On a supervised solo — the third winch launch of the day — the cable parted at about 100 to 150 m; the student lowered the nose and opened the airbrakes, but near the ground judged the airfield, hemmed in by a stream, bushes and a road, too short to land safely and turned for a meadow to the left. The airbrakes were closed again on the approach; the left wing struck bushes and the glider ground-looped onto the meadow beyond. The instructor watching from the ground did not intervene by radio.

1. Student's third winch launch: A student on a supervised solo — the third winch launch of the day on a Grob Twin II Acro — was launched at Augsburg.
2. Cable breaks at 100 to 150 m: The winch cable broke at about 100 to 150 m; the student lowered the nose and opened the airbrakes in the correct initial response.
3. Airfield too short to land ahead: Near the ground the student judged the airfield — bounded to the west by a stream, bushes and a road — too short for a safe landing, and turned for a meadow to the left.
4. Airbrakes closed; wing hits bushes: On the approach the airbrakes were closed again; the left wing then struck bushes at low height.
5. Ground loop, student injured: The glider yawed sharply left and hit the ground on a meadow beyond, about 1,200 m from the launch point; it was heavily damaged and the student suffered spinal injury. The instructor on the ground made no radio call, by his account because the situation was too low.