ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 184203
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| Date: | Saturday 13 July 1996 |
| Time: | 14:10 |
| Type: | EoN 460 Series 3 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | BGA 1154 |
| MSN: | EoN/S/0005 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Seighford Airfield, 3 miles West of Stafford, Staffordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Seighford Airfield, 3 miles West of Stafford, Staffordshire |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Ex-G-ARUB from 23-01-1962 to 17-07-1964. Written off 13-07-1996 when Wing spar failed on launch at Seighford Airfield, 3 miles West of Stafford, Staffordshire. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The preparations for this launch, and conversations with the pilot by witnesses at the launch point, were reported as being normal. After the slack in the cable had been taken up, the 'all out'signal was given following which the glider was seen to quickly become airborne and adopt the climb attitude.
Several witnesses formed the opinion that this launch was faster and less steep than normal, the launches already being considered, by several witnesses, as being fast that day. One witness reported the presence of a strong wind gradient, the surface wind being 5/10 knots.
At a height variously estimated by witnesses of between 600 and 700 feet, the glider was seen to 'speed- up' and its climb angle reduce. At about this time, and whilst still in a nose high attitude, and connected to the cable, several relatively rapid oscillations in pitch occurred. One witness estimated these to be as much as 15 degrees, with the wings being seen to 'flex' correspondingly an abnormal amount.
At about this point, the air brakes were seen to briefly deploy. Almost immediately, they deployed again, this time coincident With the right wing failing in an upwards and rearwards direction, pivoting about its root end, and releasing a cloud of debris. The right wing, still attached to the fuselage,was also seen to pivot upwards and, at about this time, the cable parachute was seen inflated with the cable disconnected from the glider.The wreckage fell to the ground, the break-up occurring at a height too low to allow the pilot to escape by parachute".
The wing spars of the 460/463 gliders need special mention. To save weight they were made of a wooden core with laminates of aluminium glued onto the outside. What wasn’t realised was that ingress of moisture could result in the glue bond failing. As a consequence of this accident all EoN 460/463 types were grounded.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422ff8840f0b61346000aa3/dft_avsafety_pdf_502118.pdf
2. CAA: http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ARUB.pdf
3. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Eon460.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Seighford#Current_use
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Feb-2016 00:16 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 13-Sep-2022 13:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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