ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 172393
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| Date: | Sunday 22 April 2007 |
| Time: | 15:42 LT |
| Type: | Glaser-Dirks DG-505 Elan Orion |
| Owner/operator: | Devon & Somerset Gliding Club |
| Registration: | BGA 4432/JDN |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | North Hill Airfield, Broadhembury, Honiton, Devon -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Broadhembury near Honiton. Devon |
| Broadhembury near Honiton. Devon | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The accident occurred during a solo flight, the purpose of which was to convert an experienced glider pilot on to type. On approach, the glider was seen to enter a steep dive and strike the ground, seriously injuring the pilot.
Several witnesses saw the subsequent events, and their accounts matched closely. The glider quickly adopted a steep nose-down pitch attitude and descended rapidly with little change in attitude until it struck the ground. The front fuselage struck the ground first and the canopy shattered.
The glider then pitched up, the tail struck the ground with force and the ‘T’ tailplane detached. The glider bounced some distance into the air again and began to roll to the right before descending steeply into the ground.
The pilot survived the accident, but sustained serious injuries. An air ambulance and other emergency services arrived on the scene and the pilot was flown to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
The dive was caused by the failure of a piece of electric cable being used to restrain the hinged rear cockpit headrest. This allowed the headrest to fall forward, restricting the rearward travel of the rear cockpit control column resulting in a loss of control. The electrical cable had been fitted as a replacement for the original nylon cord, installed by the manufacturer, which had become damaged.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/dg505-elan-orion-bga-4432-jdn-22-april-2007
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/6582557.stm
3. http://www.aviationfanatic.com/ent_show.php?ent=5&AC_Regno=BGA-4432
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Dec-2014 19:58 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 06-Sep-2016 23:12 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Dec-2021 09:41 | harro | Updated [Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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