ASK 21 wing strikes pedestrian on landing

A pedestrian was fatally injured when the left wing of an Alexander Schleicher ASK 21 struck them on landing at Long Mynd. The pilot chose the Vega Strip beside the clubhouse for the final flight. On final at 150 m AGL he saw two pedestrians on the gravel track parallel to the strip and judged them clear. He landed centrally at ~65 km/h; the wing overhang at 1.65 m passed over the shorter and struck the taller. The track was not a public right-of-way and had no glider-hazard signs; the visiting group had been warned away from the south landing area but not from the track itself.

1. Aerotow — landing: After a routine aerotow and 17-minute flight, the ASK 21 joined a right-hand circuit to land on the Vega Strip near the clubhouse.
2. Pedestrians on approach path: On final approach at about 500 feet, the pilot and front-seat passenger saw two women walking on the adjacent gravel track under the area overhung by the glider’s left wingtip.
3. Track not briefed as hazard: The gravel track alongside the Vega Strip was not a signed right-of-way and the visiting group, including the victim, had not been briefed that it lay within a glider landing hazard area.
4. Pilot misjudged clearance: The pilot assessed the two pedestrians as stationary and not in a dangerous position relative to the Vega Strip and continued the approach without altering his landing plan.
5. Landing continued normally: The pilot landed centrally on the Vega Strip at an estimated 35 kt, unaware that the left wing would overhang the track and pass at head height above it.
6. Wing strikes pedestrian: As the glider rolled out, the left wingtip passed over the shorter woman and struck the taller woman on the back of the head, producing a loud thump felt by the occupants.
7. Crash - fatal: The taller pedestrian sustained an instantaneous fatal head injury from the wing impact while the glider incurred minor damage to the left wing leading edge and stopped safely on the strip.