SZD-30 Pirat launched with disconnected ailerons

A student of an SZD-30 Pirat was lightly injured after his glider launched by winch with disconnected ailerons and ground-looped on the outlanding; aircraft destroyed. A pre-flight maintenance check had left the aileron linkage open, unnoticed at the post-check pre-flight. On the roll the glider drifted left with no aileron response; he rode the launch to release altitude and radioed the failure. Using only rudder he held flat circles toward a meadow next to the airfield, declining to bail out. On the outlanding the uncorrectable bank put a wingtip into the ground. Aileron connection was open and its safety pin loose inside the fuselage.

1. Pre-flight after airbrake check: During pre-flight checks, stiff airbrakes were reported; a technician reassembled the control linkages but left the aileron connection in the fuselage open, and the next check missed it.
2. Winch roll: left drift; no response: Winch launch on runway 12. On the roll the student noticed left bank and applied opposite aileron — no response. Ground crew also saw the drift and tried to advise by radio.
3. Rode launch to release; called failure: The decision to climb to release altitude was correct; after release the student radioed the aileron malfunction but could not fully receive ground guidance, and chose not to bail out.
4. Rudder-only flat circles to a meadow: Using only rudder he held the glider in shallow circling turns and approached a meadow next to the airfield, with control limited to yaw and pitch.
5. Wingtip strike; ground loop; impact: In the outlanding flare, the uncorrectable bank caused an early wingtip strike; the glider snapped around its axis and impacted uncontrolled. Aircraft destroyed, student lightly hurt.