Parowan midair?

SSA contest report indicates that 2 gliders made contact on the first
day. If the gliders are identified correctly then one continued to
win the day and the other returned to the airport missing part of one
wing and so far has no log posted.

Any more information available?

Andy.

No information, but the thought of a 75 mile flight with 5 feet of
wing missing is not something I'd like to face.

-John

On Jun 16, 2:48 pm, Andy wrote:
SSA contest report indicates that 2 gliders made contact on the first
day. If the gliders are identified correctly then one continued to
win the day and the other returned to the airport missing part of one
wing and so far has no log posted.

Any more information available?

Andy.

On Jun 16, 12:02*pm, jcarlyle wrote:
No information, but the thought of a 75 mile flight with 5 feet of
wing missing is not something I'd like to face.

-John

On Jun 16, 2:48 pm, Andy wrote:



SSA contest report indicates that 2 gliders made contact on the first
day. *If the gliders are identified correctly then one continued to
win the day and the other returned to the airport missing part of one
wing and so far has no log posted.

Any more information available?

Andy.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What about completing a contest task, and winning it, with unknown
damage to the fuselage?

Andy

There's several words to describe that - "competitor" and "big brass
ones".

-John

On Jun 16, 3:08 pm, Andy wrote:
What about completing a contest task, and winning it, with unknown
damage to the fuselage?

Andy

On 6/16/2010 12:08 PM, Andy wrote:
On Jun 16, 12:02 pm, wrote:
No information, but the thought of a 75 mile flight with 5 feet of
wing missing is not something I'd like to face.

-John

On Jun 16, 2:48 pm, wrote:



SSA contest report indicates that 2 gliders made contact on the first
day. If the gliders are identified correctly then one continued to
win the day and the other returned to the airport missing part of one
wing and so far has no log posted.

Any more information available?

Andy.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What about completing a contest task, and winning it, with unknown
damage to the fuselage?

Andy


An amazing ability to put the crash out of his mind, and focus on the
contest task.

On Jun 16, 11:48*am, Andy wrote:
SSA contest report indicates that 2 gliders made contact on the first
day. *If the gliders are identified correctly then one continued to
win the day and the other returned to the airport missing part of one
wing and so far has no log posted.

Any more information available?

Andy.

Wouldn't one of the aircraft involved have informed the contest
organizers and they recall the ships involved immediately?

I figure that the contest organizers are obliged to protect the other
competitors from a potentially damaged ship or pilot (Bad judgement)
from
creating an even bigger disaster.

I think we all know that perhaps a single problem/mistake is not
necesarrily life threatening but when you combine a few more
bad decisions or problems then very bad things are likely to happen.

Like letting a possibly damaged ship or an unacceptably aggresive
pilot continue in a contest or practice day.

At the very least I think the competitors should be scratched on that
flight just for allowing a collision, no matter who's fault it was, as
a deterent to flying or allowing someone else to fly too close.

I know that contest pilots push the envelope, but bad press at a time
when the public would like all personal GA aviation prohibited is not
very conducive to us keeping our privaledges.

Ray

On Jun 16, 1:20*pm, jb92563 wrote:
At the very least I think the competitors should be scratched on that
flight just for allowing a collision, no matter who's fault it was, as
a deterent to flying or allowing someone else to fly too close.

On the other hand why should a pilot who was hit through no fault of
his own be eliminated from a contest if he is able to determine,
perhaps by an inspection by another pilot and a controllability check,
that the glider is still safe to fly?

I know nothing of the circumstances of this incident but I know for
sure it is possible to be hit by another glider without being at
fault. The concept of "allowing" another, probably unseen, glider to
fly too close is nonsense.

Andy

On Jun 16, 11:48*am, Andy wrote:

Any more information available?

A fellow club member who is at Parowan provided this report"

"The excitement of the day was a mid-air between two motorgliders - an
ASH 26 and Ventus 2cx. The two ships collided in a thermal circling in
opposite directions. The nose of the Ventus impacted in the middle of
the ASH's left wing, near the spar. About six feet of the wing broke
off and departed the glider, and the leading edge showed severe stress
cracks. Gliders thermalling below witnessed a shower of debris. Both
aircraft remained controllable and the ASH landed successfully back at
Parowan. The Ventus completed the task and won the day!"

No report yet as to the condition of the 2cx.

Andy

On 6/16/2010 5:30 PM, Andy wrote:
On Jun 16, 11:48 am, wrote:

Any more information available?

A fellow club member who is at Parowan provided this report"

"The excitement of the day was a mid-air between two motorgliders - an
ASH 26 and Ventus 2cx. The two ships collided in a thermal circling in
opposite directions. The nose of the Ventus impacted in the middle of
the ASH's left wing, near the spar. About six feet of the wing broke
off and departed the glider, and the leading edge showed severe stress
cracks. Gliders thermalling below witnessed a shower of debris. Both
aircraft remained controllable and the ASH landed successfully back at
Parowan. The Ventus completed the task and won the day!"

No report yet as to the condition of the 2cx.

Andy




Ventuses must have amazingly tough noses if the glider is still flyable
(and the pilot still alive) after a head-on collision at that speed.

On Jun 16, 12:34*pm, jcarlyle wrote:
There's several words to describe that - "competitor" and "big brass

Actually, I'd call it pretty irresponsible. That glider could, at any
moment have a system failure due to weakened structure. The only
smart response is to land IMMEDIATELY, and definitely avoid overflying
any people on the ground.

Just checked the rules, and there's nothing in there regarding a
pilot's responsibility after a collision.

But several years ago, at a national contest, there was some heated
debate at the mandatory meeting about what a pilot should do in such a
case. If I recall correctly, an immediate landing for inspection was
mandated, with one or two vocal "I'm here to WIN!!!" dissents.

Nothing bad happened this time. But what if someone had been hurt or
killed due to a system failure while the pilot continued to soar?
What would be reported in the media? What would the NTSB response be?

-Tom