Club-Libelle winch launch: wingtip drags, inverted ground impact
The pilot of a Club-Libelle 205 was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when it ground-looped and impacted inverted during a winch launch at Roitzschjora. Witnesses saw the left wingtip touch the ground during the take-off roll and remain there until lift-off. After lift-off the glider yawed left with the wing still down, rolled into an inverted attitude, and from 5–10 m altitude struck the ground right-wing and nose first. The probable cause was the wingtip contact during the ground roll, the wing not lifting clear due to the high grass on the strip, and the launch not being aborted in time.
- Winch start, RWY 28: At 12:08 LT a Club-Libelle 205 began a winch launch from RWY 28 of Roitzschjora airfield (EDAW) for a local flight. Pilot had ~472 h total experience with 56 h and 59 launches on type; 7 winch launches in the last 90 days, 4 of them on the Club-Libelle. Wind 280–300° at ~24 km/h gusty, visibility >10 km.
- Left wingtip drags during take-off roll: Witnesses saw the left wingtip touch the ground during the take-off roll and remain in contact with the ground until the glider lifted off.
- Wing still down at lift-off: At the moment of lift-off the left wing was still down. With the left wing drag continuing, the glider yawed and rolled left after leaving the ground.
- Roll left into inverted attitude: The Club-Libelle continued rolling left, passing through wings-level into an inverted attitude at low altitude. The bank progressed to an inverted state from which there was no margin to recover.
- Impact from 5–10 m, nose + wing first: From an altitude of 5 to 10 m the glider struck the ground right-wing and nose first. The pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft destroyed. The probable cause was the wingtip contact during the ground roll, the wing not lifting clear due to the high grass on the strip, and the launch not being aborted in time.