ASW 19 overruns the runway after a gear-airbrake lever mix-up
The pilot was lightly injured and the ASW 19 substantially damaged when it overran the airfield and came down in a field. Returning from a two-hour local flight, he turned final at 120 m AGL and reached for the airbrake lever, but moved the landing-gear lever below it instead. The airfield manager watched him cycle the gear repeatedly and asked over the radio why, but no reply came. With the airbrakes still stowed the speed rose to about 154 km/h against a recommended 85 km/h, and the glider floated the length of the 625 m grass strip. It came down in a strawberry field beyond, dug in its nose and spun about 270 degrees.
- Local flight from Leoben/Timmersdorf: The pilot took an aerotow off runway 12 to about 1 880 m MSL and soared the surrounding valleys for about two hours before returning.
- Turn onto final: He rolled out on the extended centreline of runway 12 at about 120 m AGL and about 120 km/h.
- Gear lever worked, not the airbrakes: Reaching for the airbrake lever, he moved the landing-gear lever below it and cycled the gear repeatedly; the airbrakes stayed stowed.
- Radio query goes unanswered: The airfield manager saw the gear going up and down and asked over the radio why; no reply came from the glider.
- Speed builds through the roundout: Without airbrake drag the speed reached about 154 km/h, well above the 85 km/h recommended for landing, and the glider floated.
- Touchdown beyond the airfield: It floated the length of the 625 m strip and came down in a field, where the nose dug in and the right wingtip caught, spinning it about 270 degrees.