Collision de l'ASK 21 avec un piéton sur la piste Vega au Midland Gliding Club

Le 3 juillet 1998, un Alexander Schleicher ASK 21 a été impliqué dans une collision mortelle au Midland Gliding Club dans le Shropshire, Royaume-Uni. Lors d'un vol d'expérience privé, l'aile gauche du planeur a heurté un piéton au sol, entraînant un décès. L'incident s'est produit alors que le planeur atterrissait sur la piste Vega, qui est parallèle à un chemin utilisé par le public. Malgré les mesures de sécurité et les briefings, le piéton n'était pas conscient de l'approche du planeur. Le planeur a subi des dommages mineurs à son aile gauche.

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.