LO 100 loses part of its right wing at the start of an aerobatic figure

A pilot was seriously injured and the LO 100 destroyed when its right wing broke during a contest aerobatic flight at Spitzerberg. Released from aerotow at 1,300 m MSL, the pilot heard a bang at the start of the second figure and saw part of the right wing fluttering. The glider spun, could not be recovered, and the pilot got clear at about 500 m MSL; the sudden parachute opening caused the injuries. Recorded data put the dive before the break at over 320 km/h and its recovery at more than 8 g, against the permitted limit of 6 g in the flight manual.

1. Contest aerobatics at Spitzerberg: The LO 100 was towed off Spitzerberg for the pilot's first scored sequence at the national glider aerobatic championships; the pilot released at about 1,300 m MSL.
2. Wooden airframe built in 1960: The glider was a 1960 wooden design that had been damaged severely several times over its service life. Every repair was documented and no defect was outstanding.
3. Right wing breaks at the main spar: At about 1,000 m MSL, as the second figure began, the pilot heard a bang and saw part of the right wing fluttering. The spar had failed between ribs 11 and 14.
4. Spin that could not be recovered: The glider entered a spin. The pilot could not recover it and left the cockpit at about 500 m MSL, on his first ever emergency parachute descent.
5. Bailout at about 500 m MSL: The pilot came down by parachute, seriously injured by its sudden opening. The glider was destroyed on farmland about a kilometre from the runway.