Texas Tragedy Info?

On 6/18/2012 1:57 PM, wrote:
I'm a member of GHSA and it's clear we need more investigative information
than speculation.

Certain comments from witnesses at the field (and I WAS NOT one of them)
indicate there were controllability issues seconds after rotating. The
towpilot is said to have been feeling the excessive pulls on the rope
increase, and was seeing the glider pitching around (in the mirror) far
more than usual. One witness said he was about to release the rope at his
end when it broke. Either way the glider was free of the rope at 75-100
feet AGL according to the preliminary statements of the NTSB official at
the crash site.

Our Twin Lark had taken off once long ago with the tail dolly attached, and
landed without incident (it's a light dolly). My "opinion" is the dolly
likely didn't contribute to the instability issue, but it tells another
story: the PIC didn't thoroughly preflight the glider. It will require the
official investigation by NTSB to determine if anything else was not
addressed prior to takeoff.

Obviously a key attention point is the child. I've heard the media comments
(local TV) that the child WAS strapped in using the same belts/harness as
his mother… AND he was not. Again--we have to wait for the official
finding. Also not officially determined: the sitting positions of the pilot
and the mother/child (who was in the front and who was in the back?). I'm
in agreement with the comments that there is no way you go flying with an
unrestrained passenger on board. I'm also of the opinion that it's not
prudent to take someone that young up simply because the cockpits are very
confining, controls are in easy reach, and children that young can be prone
to instant panic and physical anguish. That, in of itself, would be a
severe distraction to the PIC.

There are a number of points NTSB will have to examine:

(1) weight and balance loading (2) aircraft condition (3) towpilot
comments (4) ground witnesses (5) radio calls (6) physical condition of the
pilot.

Again--the tail dolly points to inattention on the part of the PIC, but
nothing more until the NTSB reports on the preceding. I know for a fact
that when I was out there Saturday, there were no squawks reported on the
Twin Lark, which had been flying that day.

I've known the pilot since jointing the club in 1997. He's been a senior
instructor since that time and he signed me off for my transition pilot
practical. I considered him an attentive and conservative pilot. I've
personally never known him to have any medical conditions; he seemed in
good shape when I talked to him Saturday. You have to remember: This was
his daughter-in-law and grandson that he took flying, so his typical
preflight routine MAY--REPEAT--MAY have been distracted by the family
aspect of the moment. It's likely another club member was ground crewing
and standing near the glider as they were loading, so we'll need to wait
for those eyewitness comments.

For now that's all we know and we must keep the speculation down and await
the NTSB's report. Fred will be greatly missed. It's tough all around since
GHSA has had a pretty good safety record. We haven't had a major accident
since 1999 and in that one the pilot walked away from his low-time,
lack-of-judgement landing approach decisions that caused him to go off the
end of the runway and total the glider.

Bob,

Thanks for the above. It takes real skill to inform sensitively. Tough to do
at a time like this, I know. It's also tough for me to imagine a more horrific
loss scenario than this...for the families involved, for friends, for the
Club, for soaring. My heart goes out to everyone.

Respectfully,
Bob W.