Club Libelle 205 tow rope failure leads to crash at Les Eplatures airfield
On May 20, 1989, a Glasflügel Club Libelle 205 experienced a tow rope failure shortly after takeoff at Les Eplatures airfield in Switzerland. During the initial climb, the tow rope's fusible link broke, causing the glider to lose connection with the tow plane. The pilot attempted a low-altitude turn to return to the airfield but was unable to maintain control, resulting in a crash. The glider was destroyed, and the pilot sustained serious injuries. The investigation identified the insufficient strength of the fusible link as a contributing factor.
- Aerotow takeoff: The Club Libelle 205 began an aerotow takeoff from runway 06 with a headwind of 10–15 kt, climbing normally behind the Robin towplane.
- Damaged weak link: The towrope fusible link on the glider side had been rapidly degraded by prior use and impacts, with partial wire breaks that were difficult to detect visually.
- Weak link failure: At about 20–30 m above the runway and roughly abeam the control tower, the fusible link in the towrope on the glider side failed without any noticeable jerk, disconnecting the glider from the towplane.
- Low-altitude turn back: Instead of continuing straight ahead to land, the pilot initiated an almost 180-degree left turn at very low height, likely influenced by nearby airport installations, wooded slopes, and buildings ahead.
- Stall and nose-down: During the steep left turn the glider’s airspeed decayed, it stalled and entered a very steep nose-down flight path toward the ground.
- Crash - serious injury: The left wing and then the nose struck the ground near the runway, destroying the glider and seriously injuring the pilot.