Devices for avoiding VNE?

Subject: Devices for avoiding VNE?
From: "W.J. \(Bill\) Dean \(U.K.\)." c
Date: 30/03/2004 10:15 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

I am afraid not.

I do not know whether this accident was investigated direct by the AAIB or
whether it was delegated to the BGA, but in either case U.K. accidents as
far back as that are not on-line.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Andreas Maurer" wrote in message
...


On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:50:20 +0100, "W.J. \(Bill\) Dean \(U.K.\)."
wrote:

snip

The ASW20CL on 11th January 1987 was an overspeed accident. It did not
break up, control was lost and it hit the ground at very high speed.

snip


Interesting case - is there a detailed rport available online?

Bye
Andreas





I don't know if this accident was the subject of a _formal_ AAIB investigation;
I do know that one of their guys spent some time with the wreckage and talking
to Schleicher, amongst others.

From what I remember (I was at the airfield the day this happened but didn't
witness the crash) the glider was observed to be hillsoaring and climbing in
weak thermals near the site. Eyewitness say it departed from level flight (in
what way I'm not sure) then went into a steepening dive from which it did not
recover. The height it started the dive from was estimated at 1200-1600', which
ties in with the speed it hit the ground.

I don't remember if there was ever a 'probable cause' given but several factors
were quoted post-investigation:

a) The pilot was new to type and fairly inexperienced (in gliders).
b) She was of quite light build.
c) She was an experienced hang-glider pilot.
d) The glider was being flown in comps. by another syndicate member and had
been ballasted in the tail to take it close to the aft CG limit (when flown by
her partner).

There is/was plenty of fuel for the speculative fire but I don't think we'll
ever know exactly why this happened...

P.S. I think it was actually a ASW-20_B_L, not that it makes an incredible
difference.