Course of the accident
The incident occurred during a tow flight in which the motorised glider, piloted by a 66-year-old experienced pilot, was towing a glider into the air. After releasing the glider, the motorised glider began a low overflight in order to drop the tow rope on runway 23. At the same time, another motorised vehicle approached runway 05, prompting the air traffic controller to instruct the motor glider pilot to delay his landing approach. The motorglider dropped the rope as planned and turned westwards, while the glider pilot turned into the cross approach for runway 05. Both pilots reported glare from the sun, which impaired their vision.
Technical data and personnel
The SF 25 C motorised glider, built in 2002, and the SZD-50-3 "Puchacz" glider, built in 1983, were both technically inspected and airworthy. The motorised glider had a Rotax-912-S2 engine and an MT-175-R-130-2A fixed-blade propeller, while the "Puchacz" was equipped with a collision warning device.
Meteorological conditions and aerodrome details
At the time of the accident, clear visibility conditions prevailed at the Greiz-Obergrochlitz special landing field with a ground visibility of over 10 kilometres and a light northerly wind. The airfield, located around 2 kilometres south-west of Greiz, has an asphalt runway 752 metres long and is designed for the operation of motorised aircraft and gliders.
Investigation and safety recommendations
The investigation revealed that the accident was favoured by a combination of the unfavourable position of the sun, the communication between the pilots and the flight director and the unfamiliar procedure for dropping the rope. It was found that better coordination and a collision warning device in the motorised glider could possibly have prevented the incident. As a result of the incident, operations at the aerodrome were adapted by avoiding dropping tow ropes on the approach and retrofitting the motorised glider with a collision warning device.
Conclusion
The investigation carried out was aimed at preventing future accidents and led to important adjustments in flight operations at the Greiz-Obergrochlitz special landing site. These measures are intended to improve the safety of flight operations under mixed conditions in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Source references:
Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation