Bergfalke IV releases at 10 m after winch problem, hits runway hard

A Bergfalke IV was heavily damaged on a winch launch from RWY 27 at Gardelegen (Germany); both occupants were seriously injured. The visiting club had brought its own six-drum Busio winch to a flying camp. At about 10 m AGL the pilot perceived the cable pull dropping and released. The glider struck the runway twice and ground-looped through a half turn, coming to rest about 400 m beyond the start, facing back along the launch axis. A loop of the previously used Dyneema cable had jumped a drum flange and wrapped the through-shaft, blocking all six drums.

1. Winch launch from RWY 27 ~17:00 LT: The Bergfalke IV began a winch launch from RWY 27 at Gardelegen; the guest club ran the launch with its own six-drum Busio winch brought for a flying camp.
2. Cable loop wraps winch shaft: A loop of the Dyneema winch cable had jumped its drum flange and wrapped the through-shaft driving all six drums, blocking it and dropping the pull on the active drum.
3. Winch pull drops at ~10 m: After the glider reached about 10 m above the ground in the initial climb the pilot perceived the winch cable tension decrease significantly.
4. Release at ~10 m: In response to the loss of winch pull the pilot released the cable at roughly 10 m height above the runway.
5. Two hard impacts, ½-turn ground loop: After release, the glider struck the runway twice hard, then ground-looped about half a turn and came to rest roughly 400 m beyond the start, facing back along the launch axis.
6. Heavy damage, both seriously injured: The fuselage underside was crushed to the main wheel; both wings cracked ~15 cm at the airbrake box, and the elevator and flap rods were damaged. Both occupants were seriously injured.