__________________________________________________Incident Report
?
Well. I was going to write about the Highland Fly in (a great success) but I thought it would be too complex to include my accident along with it, so I'll just lay it out separately. This is the story.
Experience: I am rated a hang four, and have been flying for 3 1/2 years. I moved up from my Eagle last winter to the Sport 2. I have well over 200 hours total and have about 70 on the Sport, and feel very competent flying it.
I have?been considering buying?a more advanced glider and took advantage of the chance to demo the WW gliders at Highland before and during the fly in.
Thursday, June 16th I flew the 145 WW U2. I am a little light on it (my body weight is about 135) but within range. I flew it starting about 11 AM, and flew it 6 times, continuing through the evening, for a total of 2 hours. I?put a fin on it for the first flight, moved it up the keel for the next couple, and removed it after that.
My first flight I realized many small differences about the glider. The VG moves the bar position (unlike the VG on my Sport) and I needed to fly with my hands further underneath my body, and also spread them wider apart as I initially had too little roll authority. I also needed to keep my hands spread wider throughout my flights on it as I found it more difficult to turn. I also needed to focus on bar position to determine speed, as opposed to bar pressure, since the U2 has much less bar pressure.
The glide was much longer than I am used to, and the approaches were my biggest challenge. I tried to fly DBF approaches as the wind was extremely light. I became slightly more accurate but was invariably high throughout most of the day. I fixed?my high approaches?by?changing to a?figure eight approach at the end of what had been intended as my base leg. I didn't want to be turning too low, particularly since my turns lacked?precise control, due somewhat to the glider's size but also due to my lack of experience with it, but nevertheless some of the turns were lower than ideal (though not horribly). On one of my approaches the wind switched (it was extremely variable throughout the day) and I ended up with a significant tail wind. That, combined with my high approach, had me skidding in on my belly on the paved taxiway (this is not the incident). I ground off pieces of my harness and tennis shoes, but the landing was very gentle and the glider and I both were fine.
I resolved to fly better and my last 2 approaches and subsequent landings were good, although I was told I should have flown with a little more speed (that bar position thing).
The next day?I flew the U2 twice is crosswind conditions of perhaps 10 mph?and "chunky" air. Both of my approaches worked well and my landings were good. I deliberately flew figure 8 approaches with the higher winds. The glide on final was much more what I was used to with the wind.
I?did not fly the U2 but my own glider for the cross country competition on Saturday, but decided to fly it again yesterday (Sunday evening) in order to work out the approaches. I flew at about 5 PM in only mildly textured air, with?light winds (0-5) coming consistently from the SE?and enjoyed a short soaring flight. I decided to land in the field to the west of the normal landing field, so I would have more room to set up an approach without over flying the gliders set up and the swamp.
OK, let's get to it. I thought I spotted my angles fine, but as I turned on base I saw I was a little high. I didn't think it was much. I pushed as far out towards the runway as I could, thinking I would lose enough altitude to begin final without adding a turn. In continuing straight?ahead I boxed myself into a position where I was going to be aimed more south than SE, since I had reached the furthest end of the field and had not lost much altitude. I turned final when I thought I was OK?but I quickly realized my glide still might easily result in overshooting the field. I added a quick turn, quite low. I always transition to a one hand up and one down position as I begin final. I believed my turn was completed and believe I tried to transition (I am slightly fuzzy on this part). The glider continued turning past where I had anticipated it straightening, and I had one hand in the air (transitioning) as it continued turning. I tried hard to straighten it but impacted hard with the?right wing in a turn. My body swung left?through the left down tube and the injuries to the glider were all on that side (like mine).
Actually this is interesting talking to Paul this morning. I know I tried to turn right to add a loop but apparently the glider turned left after that and then right again. So maybe these were oscillations but I obviously lost control of the glider. When the right wing impacted it wrapped up hard that way and it might have partly been because of the gradient. Really weird how I don't know what happened totally.?I thought the left wing impacted?until Paul reminded me it was the right and now I remember it fine.
I escaped without significant injury, though?I am extremely sore in my left leg and arm, and in my?neck. The glider had a broken down tube, a stretched tang and will need the side wire replaced, oh, I guess the corner bracket too. The sprog zipper pull was also ripped off and I am unsure what else will need to be replaced since I did not help break down the glider. I was very lucky; this was a pretty good crash. Sorry Rob.
The cause was, obviously, 100 percent pilot error. I think Pete Lehmann said best; that I was not being as conservative as?I thought?I was being, because?I assumed the U2 would respond in a way similar to my Sport. I should have aimed to land at the very?starting point?of the field, and if anything?I should have aimed more to the east, since this would have given me much more room and?I could have easily turned slightly south at any point.
I will obviously continue flying but I am questioning what is most enjoyable about the sport to me, as well as my ability to successfully transition to a more difficult glider and continue flying it as safely as?I have my Sport. I am very confused really and of course very unhappy with myself and my performance.
My thanks to Adam Elchin, Danny Brotto, Dave Proctor, Daniel Broxterman and all the others who helped (I am so sorry, I really don't know who was there); my thanks especially to Pete for listening to my tearful, drunk ramblings, and my apologies to Highland for leaving everyone with a bad taste in their mouths after such a wonderful weekend.
Lauren
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com