Student stalls an SGS 1-26 coming out of a slip flown to land short
A student pilot flying solo was lightly injured, and the SGS 1-26E substantially damaged, when he stalled on short final at Crooked Creek and the glider struck a parked tow aeroplane. Another glider was still on the runway as he turned downwind, so he decided to land short of it and put the glider into a forward slip to reach his aiming point. As he took the slip off the airspeed fell from about 110 to 55 km/h, and at about 13 m above the ground he found he had no control. The leading edge of the left wing and the aft fuselage were damaged.
- Student solo, downwind at Crooked Creek: A student pilot with 25 hours, all of them on the type, was flying the club's SGS 1-26E alone and turned downwind for the 762 m turf runway.
- Runway still occupied: Another glider was still on the runway, so the student decided to land short of it.
- Slips to reach the aiming point: He put the glider into a forward slip to bring it down onto the spot he had chosen short of the other glider.
- Speed halves as the slip comes off: Taking the slip off, he saw the airspeed fall by half. At about 13 m above the ground the glider stalled and he had no control of it.
- Into a parked tow aeroplane: The glider struck a parked tow aeroplane and the ground. The leading edge of the left wing and the aft fuselage were substantially damaged and the student was lightly injured.