Janus C high-energy overrun — airbrakes retracted unnoticed; deliberate ground loop

A Schempp-Hirth Janus C overran the runway at Bagnères-de-Luchon (Haute-Garonne); the glider was destroyed and the occupants uninjured. The instructor aborted training shortly after winch launch in unsuitable conditions. On final the instructor's hand stayed on the flap lever rather than on the airbrake lever; an unheld Janus C airbrake handle can slowly retract. The half-deployed airbrakes retracted unnoticed; the glider floated and bounced down the 750 m runway. At the boundary fence the instructor pulled up, then banked right to ground-loop beyond. Investigators cited the unnoticed airbrake retraction with the approach speed high for wind.

1. Aborted instructional winch flight: The instructor launched by winch from Bagnères-de-Luchon for an instructional flight, then judged conditions unsuitable and turned back to land on runway 01 (unpaved, 750 m x 50 m).
2. Airbrake handle needs constant hold: The Janus C airbrake lever has no detent, so when pulled out the airbrakes deploy proportional to lever position and can slowly drift back toward retracted if not held.
3. Approach speed high for wind: Wind was 360 degrees at 9 kt gusting to 20 kt. The instructor targeted an approach speed of about 115 km/h, half-deploying airbrakes and checking their extension before the final turn.
4. Hand on flap, off airbrake lever: On final, after setting the flaps for landing, the instructor likely kept his hand on the flap lever rather than the airbrake lever, and nothing alerted him as the airbrakes retracted.
5. Airbrakes retracted unnoticed: The half-deployed airbrakes retracted unnoticed. Ground speed reached about 130 km/h at flare, near 145 km/h IAS versus the intended 115 km/h, and the glider floated and bounced mid-runway.
6. Pull-up over fence, ground-loop: Unable to stop short of the boundary fence, the instructor kept the glider airborne over it, then banked the right wing down for a controlled ground loop rather than hit buildings beyond.
7. Fuselage broken, uninjured: The glider touched down about 130 m past the runway end, 40 m right of its axis, ground-looped, and stopped with the fuselage broken. Instructor and student were uninjured.