El ala de un ASK 21 golpea a un peatón al aterrizar
Un peatón resultó fallecido al ser golpeado por el ala izquierda de un Alexander Schleicher ASK 21 al aterrizar en Long Mynd. El piloto eligió la Vega Strip junto a la casa club para el último vuelo. En final a 150 m AGL vio a dos peatones sobre el camino de grava paralelo a la pista y los juzgó libres. Aterrizó centrado a ~65 km/h; el voladizo del ala a 1,65 m pasó sobre el más bajo y golpeó al más alto. El camino no era vía pública ni tenía señales de advertencia para planeadores; al grupo visitante se le había advertido del área de aterrizaje sur, no del camino.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.