ASK 13 on uphill landing catches launching winch cable at 50 m on RWY 20

Two ASK 13 occupants were seriously injured on approach at Eschwege-Stauffenbühl and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The runway's uphill grade made opposite-direction operations normal: winch launches on RWY 02, landings on RWY 20. The ASK 13 was on short final to RWY 20 when a second glider winch-launched from RWY 02. At about 50 m AGL the ASK 13's right wing caught the cable, which cut into the spar; the wing broke off, the glider fell about 170 m from the winch and slid into bushes at the west field edge, breaking the left wing. The airfield was being operated without a flight controller, against an expired permit.

1. Sightseeing then approach to RWY 20: At about 14:05 LT on 28 September 2013 the pilot launched an ASK 13 on winch from RWY 02 of the Segelfluggelände Eschwege-Stauffenbühl for a sightseeing flight with one passenger. The airfield has a 900 m grass runway 020°/200° that rises in its southern part, so when wind allows the local procedure is to launch downhill (RWY 02) and land uphill in the opposite direction (RWY 20). After about ten minutes the pilot returned to land on RWY 20.
2. Opposite-direction ops (slope): Because of the runway grade, simultaneous launches on RWY 02 and landings on RWY 20 are the normal pattern at this airfield. While the ASK 13 was on approach a second glider began a winch launch from RWY 02 in the opposite direction.
3. No flight controller, against permit: The airfield was being operated without a flight controller at the time. The local permit allowing operation without a controller had expired on 31 December 2010 and, in any case, had explicitly excluded glider winch launches from its scope.
4. Wing catches cable at ~50 m on final: On short final to RWY 20 at about 50 m above the ground the ASK 13's right wing caught the winch cable of the second glider, which had already released. Witnesses saw the wing hang on the cable for a moment.
5. Cable cuts to spar; right wing breaks: The cable cut through the right wing from about the middle of the aileron into the main spar, and the wing broke off at that point. The airbrakes were found half-extended.
6. Slides into bushes; both hurt: The glider fell about 170 m from the winch and slid into bushes at the west edge of the airfield, coming to rest about 140 m from the threshold of RWY 20. The left wing broke off 1.5 m from the root and was twisted by about 90°. The cockpit was destroyed back to the rear seat; the tail boom and tail caught in the bushes. The controls were intact and no defect was found. Both occupants — pilot and passenger — were seriously injured.