Spin

Shawn Curry wrote:

Good to hear he's OK. I've only been able to play the audio of this
clip and it didn't sound good.

Actually, it sounds very good: "Für den Piloten endete dieser Crash mit
ein paar Schnittwunden."

Stefan

K.P. Termaat skrev den Wed, 04 Feb 2004 10:07:21 GMT:

This happened trying to land back at the field after a cable break. Very
sad
indeed.
www.fsv-unterjesingen.de/DnLoads/Seilriss.avi

What does the commentator say about 18 meter (high?) something? Or is that
a reference to the span? Or am I mishearing completely? Should have spent
less time communication with the cute girls outside the window during
German class...

Cheers,
Fred

Fredrik Thörnell wrote:
What does the commentator say about 18 meter (high?) something? Or is

He is saying that the cable broke at 80 meters height. (200 odd feet)
CV

"CV" wrote in message
...
Fredrik Thörnell wrote:
What does the commentator say about 18 meter (high?) something? Or is

He is saying that the cable broke at 80 meters height. (200 odd feet)
CV

Perhaps someone familiar with the incident could explain why the pilot tried
to turn back from a height of 80 meters. I would expect that, with a wire
break at 80 meters, the pilot would have 75% or more of the airfield
straight ahead for a safe landing. In fact, a 180 degree turn from an 80
meter wire break would leave no place to land at most winch sites.

Bill Daniels

Bill Daniels wrote:

Perhaps someone familiar with the incident could explain why the pilot tried
to turn back from a height of 80 meters. I would expect that, with a wire
break at 80 meters, the pilot would have 75% or more of the airfield
straight ahead for a safe landing

Stress? Overtax? Panic? Blackout? It's happened before.

Stefan

Stefan wrote in message ...
Bill Daniels wrote:

Perhaps someone familiar with the incident could explain why the pilot tried
to turn back from a height of 80 meters. I would expect that, with a wire
break at 80 meters, the pilot would have 75% or more of the airfield
straight ahead for a safe landing

Stress? Overtax? Panic? Blackout? It's happened before.

Stefan


The commentator says:

"Sunday afternoon in Magdenburg.
It was a routine start with winch, but at 80m the cable breaks.
For the pilot this crash ends with a couple of cutting wounds"

The glider is a 2-seater DG500. Probabbly with only the pilot on
board.
The commentator's voice is very professional. A story by the media for
the general public?. Not very good for our sport.
If standard rules (e.g. landing straight ahead after this low cable
break) had been performed nothing seriously would have happened. And
why did the cable break anyway (weak cable, heavy glider, to steep a
take off, to much force on the cable by the winchman and what have
you).

Karel, NL

I once watched a pilot turn an ASW 20 through 360 degrees after a 75
foot rope break. With each successive 90 degree turn, I heaved a sigh
of relief, until he rolled into the next one. The pilot made three 90
degree left hand turns, at one point dropping slightly below the level
of the runway, until he was lined up to land across the runway. He
made his last 90 degree right turn in ground effect, using rudder
only. I didn't see much of the touchdown or rollout, as I was running
for life and limb. The glider was undamaged. The pilot, on the other
hand...

To my knowledge, he never flew another glider.



"Bill Daniels" wrote in message ...
"CV" wrote in message
...
Fredrik Thörnell wrote:
What does the commentator say about 18 meter (high?) something? Or is

He is saying that the cable broke at 80 meters height. (200 odd feet)
CV

Perhaps someone familiar with the incident could explain why the pilot tried
to turn back from a height of 80 meters. I would expect that, with a wire
break at 80 meters, the pilot would have 75% or more of the airfield
straight ahead for a safe landing. In fact, a 180 degree turn from an 80
meter wire break would leave no place to land at most winch sites.

Bill Daniels

He made his last 90 degree right turn in ground effect, using rudder
only. I didn't see much of the touchdown or rollout, as I was running
for life and limb. The glider was undamaged. The pilot, on the other
hand...

To my knowledge, he never flew another glider.

A turn at low speed with rudder only is an invitation for a spin.
At low altitude, it will usually end exactly the way we saw in this video,
with the glider spinning right into the ground.

If your collegue performed that last turn at very high speed the glider
wouldn't turn with rudder only.
If it was at low speed, and below 2 feet altitude, one of the wingtips
certainly touched first and it wasn't very pretty.

If he was above 2 feet, the result would have been some glider damage.

I haven't followed this thread, so I don't know if
anyone has already mentioned this, but It is clear
from the video that the pilot was performaing a downwind
turn in a fairly strong wind (windsock almost straight).
Why he decided to turn downwind at this height is anyone's
guess. You may also note that at the point of spin
entry the airbrakes are opened fully, I suspect that
the pilot had cracked the brakes open (again god knows
why), resulting in the wing stalling. The fact that
he opened the brakes fully upon spinning seems to suggest
his brain was switched to 'landing lever mode' if it
was switched on at all. Another reminder that eventualities
should be considered before every winch launch. This
guy was very lucky to only suffer minor injuries.

J.

I don't mean to sound 'holier than thou'. We've all
run out of ideas at some time or another and gotten
away with it by sheer luck. Its interesting to see
the chain of events that led to this guy not getting
away with it tho.

Please would someone post a url if this clip is online.

Thanks



At 15:36 05 February 2004, Todd Pattist wrote:
Janos Bauer wrote:

Sorry, meters.

Thanks. I thought it was meters, but I wanted to be
sure.
Todd Pattist - 'WH' Ventus C
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)

David Pye
Kent Gliding Club
Charing

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