ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 243433
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| Date: | Monday 16 June 2014 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Slingsby T.43 Skylark 3b |
| Owner/operator: | Midland Gliding Club |
| Registration: | BGA 761/AYF |
| MSN: | 1058 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Long Mynd, Church Stretton, Shropshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Long Mynd, Church Stretton, Shropshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Slingsby Skylark 3b (possibly BGA761/AYF - but not confirmed) crashed shortly after take off at Long Mynd, Church Stretton, Shropshire 16 june 2014. The pilot survived, although he sustained back injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. According to a contemporary report in the "Shropshire Star" (17 June 2014):
"Pilot trapped for 40 minutes after Long Mynd glider crash
South Shropshire | News | Published: Jun 17, 2014
A glider pilot was cut free by firefighters after crashing from 200 feet on to the Long Mynd during take-off. The accident happened at the landmark near Church Stretton shortly before 1pm yesterday.
The pilot, who was trapped for around 40 minutes in the wreckage, was able to walk to an ambulance before being taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The Midland Gliding Club confirmed the glider was one of its fleet but declined to comment further. A West Mercia Police spokesman said air accident investigators had been informed of the incident.
Suzie Fothergill, spokesman for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "It was reported that the glider, which was being towed approximately 100 to 200 feet in the air, plummeted to the ground before skidding and overturning on to its roof. Crews worked closely with the fire service and staff from the gliding club to safely extricate the pilot from the aircraft".
Additional: The BGA (British Gliding Association) final report had the following to add (see link #1)
"The glider had a faster than normal all out on the winch. The tail rapidly pitched down, and while moving forward, struck a clump of earth, possibly containing a rock. As the glider got airborne, the pilot discovered he had no elevator control. He released at 200 or so feet and subsequently turned to find a landing area back on the airfield,with limited control (just ailerons and airbrakes) he crashed with very minor injuries.
The tail of the glider is not very resistant to tail strikes. In this case, the metal spoon had very little flexibility, causing the tail skid to fail. That failure transferred the load into the sternpost which also failed through the lower rudder hinge and elevator pulley assembly which prevented any effective pilot rudder/elevator inputs having any effect. The fin stayed attached, but in a very weakened and flexible state.
Upon examination after the accident, there was no indication that this glider had any pre existing fault that could encourage the tailskid or sternpost to fail. This glider had a very comprehensive maintenance history and started life as a Skylark 3 in 1956 and was modified to become a Skylark 3b. None of the mods were to the tail area, It would appear later versions of the Skylark after the 3b had a far more tailstrike resistant design.
In hindsight the pilot could have controlled the glider in pitch with the still connected trimmer, which on a Skylark is particularly powerful compared to modern gliders. He had never considered how to control the glider in pitch with a disconnected elevator. The pilot did not go through the scenario of a disconnected control in his pre flight self briefing, which is not unreasonable.
On many a check flight I have performed with experienced pilots, rather than just make them do a normal landing, I have often got them to practice landing the glider on just rudder, trim and airbrake. The results have been mixed and the students always leaned and enjoyed the experience. (In Schiebe Falkes in gusty weather, many lose control as soon as they open the spoilers).
When I was taught about flying new types this was always part of the self type conversion brief to myself. A few ASW 20s have taken off with no elevators connected, only to land successfully using the flap as pitch control. The Pik 20D does the same. Perhaps the TEM of an initial type conversion should consider control problems and the options to deal with these scenarios during type conversions.
Conclusion:
The back end of this glider was not capable of withstanding a heavy tail strike. It would be possible to modify the weaker versions of Skylarks to be more resistant to damage, by changing the tailskid design to that of later Skylarks. We are looking into where to find the Slingsby drawings to enable owners the option to accomplish this.
Operationally, I recommend that any gliders that tend to pitch rapidly onto the tail on all out, have a tail holder to ensure the tail starts on the ground. At Lasham the Vintage gliding have done this for many years.For initial type conversions the pilot should consider the options available to control the glider in the event of a disconnected or control restriction"
Sources:
1. BGA Final Report: https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/investigation-reports/skylark-3-bga-accident-report-2015/
2. https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2014/06/17/pilot-trapped-for-40-minutes-after-long-mynd-glider-crash/
3. http://rcawsey.co.uk/skylark3.htm
4. https://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/news/11282306.pilot-walks-away-after-glider-crash-on-the-long-mynd/
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-27873089
6. https://wmas.nhs.uk/2014/06/16/lucky-escape-for-pilot-as-glider-crashes/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slingsby_Skylark_3
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Sep-2020 21:20 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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