Fallo de cuerda de remolque del Club Libelle 205 provoca accidente en el aeródromo de Les Eplatures
El 20 de mayo de 1989, un Glasflügel Club Libelle 205 experimentó un fallo en la cuerda de remolque poco después del despegue en el aeródromo de Les Eplatures en Suiza. Durante el ascenso inicial, el enlace fusible de la cuerda se rompió, causando la pérdida de conexión con el avión remolcador. El piloto intentó un giro a baja altitud para regresar al aeródromo, pero no pudo mantener el control, resultando en un accidente. El planeador fue destruido y el piloto sufrió heridas graves. La investigación identificó la insuficiente resistencia del enlace fusible como un factor contribuyente.
- 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.