ASW 19 B pitches up on tow with its elevator rod unconnected

Aerotow from Letkov with the elevator push rod never connected at rigging: after lift-off the pilot pushed to hold station, the ASW 19 B reared into a steep climb, and he released the rope and the glider fell nose-first onto the airfield from about 15 m; he was unhurt and the glider was substantially damaged. The tug had been pulled tail-up far enough to touch its wheels down again before the release. He had rigged the glider alone from its trailer, as he always did, and had not verified the ball connector of the elevator linkage. Unattached, the rod merely rested against the underside of the elevator, which floated free as speed built.

1. Rigged alone from the trailer: The pilot kept his ASW 19 B derigged in a trailer and rigged it in the usual way, unhurried, taking the 15 to 20 minutes it needed. He then waited an hour on the launch point for better thermals.
2. Elevator rod not connected: The quick-release ball connector joining the push rod to the elevator had not been engaged and its sliding sleeve not checked. The rod lay against the underside of the elevator instead of driving it.
3. Elevator floats as speed builds: A free elevator rose with the rod and fell back under its own weight, so the glider changed pitch on its own. The oscillation was undamped and its frequency rose with airspeed.
4. Steep climb behind the tug: The pilot pushed to level the glider after lift-off; it did not respond and reared into a steep climb. The tug was pulled tail-up far enough to touch its wheels down again, and its pilot pulled back.
5. Release at about 15 m: Recognising that he had no pitch control, the pilot released the rope. The glider slowed, dropped into a steep descent from about 15 m by the flight recorder and hit the ground on the fuselage nose.
6. Slides into the undershoot: The glider slid to a stop about 200 m short of RWY 08L. The forward fuselage structure was broken, the nose and tail wheels damaged and both wing roots delaminated. The pilot climbed out unhurt.