Loose restraints let a JS-MD 3 over-rotate into a stall on winch launch

The pilot of a JS-MD 3 was seriously injured when the glider over-rotated on a winch launch, stalled and struck the ground; the glider was destroyed. Witnesses saw a normal ground run, then an unusually vigorous rotation into a steep climb; the left wing dropped and the glider rolled and yawed left into a steep nose-down impact. On his sixth winch launch on the type, the pilot recalled little but believed he had slid back in the seat during acceleration. The seat is more reclined than most; tests confirmed a pilot can slide back and then barely control the glider, but not with the restraints tight.

1. Winch launch begins: An experienced pilot, on his sixth winch launch on the JS-MD 3, took the cable at Nympsfield in fine weather.
2. Pilot slides back in reclined seat: The seat is more reclined than most and the restraints were not tight; on the acceleration the pilot believed he slid backwards in the seat.
3. Over-rotation into a steep climb: The glider rotated more vigorously than normal into a steep climb.
4. Left wing drops, stall: The left wing dropped and the glider rolled and yawed left in a stall, too low to recover.
5. Steep nose-down impact: It struck the ground steeply nose-down and was destroyed; the pilot was seriously injured.