Just a reminder to all those handhelds floating around you cockpit to
have them is a SAFE and SECURE location

http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?e...06X00809&key=1

Accident occurred Saturday, May 10, 2008 in Gregory, MI
Aircraft: Schleicher AS-K13, registration: N24BS
Injuries: 1 Serious.

The glider pilot reported that before hooking-up to the tow plane he
reviewed the preflight checklist and verified that the flight controls
were connected and unobstructed. The initial takeoff roll was normal
with the glider becoming airborne prior to the tow plane. The glider
pilot applied forward stick pressure to remain in ground effect and in
proper position relative to the tow plane, which was still
accelerating on its takeoff roll. After the tow plane became airborne
the glider began to climb above proper tow position. The glider pilot
stated that he "could not push the stick all the way forward to lower
the nose" and the glider continued to climb out of tow position. The
glider pilot released from the towline when he no longer had the tow
plane in sight. After releasing from the towline, the glider resumed a
level pitch attitude and began to decelerate. The pilot selected full
nose down trim, in response to his limited pitch control. The glider
continued to decelerate and subsequently landed hard on the turf
runway. The main landing gear and aft fuselage tubular support
structure was substantially damaged during the hard landing. Both
wingtips were damaged and there were several fabric tears on the left
wing and fuselage. After exiting the glider, the pilot found his
handheld communication radio on the cockpit floor. The pilot said that
during takeoff the radio must have fallen off his seat onto the
cockpit floor, restricting the movement of the control stick. The
pilot reported that the accident might have been prevented if the
glider had a method to secure a handheld radio and the preflight
checklists included a task to identify if there were any unrestrained
items in the cockpit area.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable
cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to adequately secure his handheld radio prior to
takeoff, which resulted in a restriction of the flight control stick
and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the stall/mush
flight condition encountered after the glider released from the
towline.