Discus-2c lands hard after a low winch release and a late push-over
The pilot was seriously injured and the glider substantially damaged when the winch launch broke off at about 10 metres AGL. A winch driver under instruction eased the cable speed just after lift-off; the tension dropped, the drogue opened and the cable released. The pilot did not notice, waited for the pull to return, and lowered the nose only once the airspeed had fallen away. At that height the pilot could no longer arrest the sink, and the glider hit the ground hard, breaking the fuselage boom. No defect was found on the glider or the winch. The pilot had neither experienced nor practised a launch interruption since 2007.
- Winch launch: The pilot took the first winch launch of the day from Innsbruck (581 m MSL), on the centre-of-gravity hook, in a light tailwind.
- Winch driver under instruction: A winch driver being checked out was at the controls under a supervisor. It was his first run of the season and his first launch of this type.
- Cable speed eased after lift-off: Just after lift-off the winch driver reduced cable speed. The tension fell, the drogue opened and the cable released at about 10 m AGL.
- Release goes unnoticed: The pilot did not register the release and waited for the pull to return. The supervisor called for full power, but the cable was already gone.
- Airspeed decays: The pilot lowered the nose only once the speed had fallen away. A witness called over the radio to push forward.
- Hard mushing impact: The glider struck the ground with a high rate of descent and slid about 28 metres. The pilot was seriously injured and the fuselage boom broke.