Glider instructor, accompanied by a student pilot, of a SGS2-33A lost pitch control of the glider af...

Narrative:

I was the cfig instructing a 15 yr old cadet. On our third flight of the day, we were taking off with assistance from a truck automatic-tow with a 1500 ft rope. I instructed the truck tow driver to accelerate to 40 mph, then ease back and cruise at 35 mph. Surface winds was 15 mph, east. The takeoff started normally, then I noted the line caught on an overgrowth and a slack was developing, altitude was about 15-20 ft, climb angle starting its 15 degree climb. I started to reach for the rope release control, but glider started to sink. I pushed the stick forward, no response and the glider hit the ground hard. We bounced, I could not grab release. The tow truck, apparently also decelerated at the same time the slack started. The spotter saw the glider sink, the driver then 'stepped on it' to accelerate. The acceleration pulled the glider forward and airspeed increased which helped us not to hit the ground a second time. I stabilized the glider at about 20-25 ft and released and made a normal landing ahead. The cadet was saying her neck hurts and could not move it. She was choppered by EMS to a hospital. The cadet was flying the glider on takeoff as this was her third day of all day instruction and her 7TH overall flight. Tow driver and spotter was new to tow driving, being trained that day. FAA was on the field and was at the site in about 15 mins and is classifying this as an incident. Cfig has a sore neck and shoulder. Glider hit on its main wheel, a&P inspection showed no damage to glider. It was signed off to fly again. Before the flight I briefed the tow driver and spotter to the speeds and how to decelerate slowly to 35 mph. Procedure has been to accelerate truck, then move it left from the grass area to a harder surface on left for running cruise, this move may have added to slowing the tow. We need to inspect the line on the ground before takeoffs to avoid it being caught on anything on ground. Training of driver and student pilot instruction may not be a good combination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLIDER INSTRUCTOR, ACCOMPANIED BY A STUDENT PLT, OF A SGS2-33A LOST PITCH CTL OF THE GLIDER AFTER LIFT-OFF DURING A GND AUTO TOW RESULTING IN A HARD LNDG, BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER. HOWEVER THE STUDENT PLT RECEIVED NECK INJURIES AND THE RPTR A SORE NECK AND SHOULDER.

Narrative: I WAS THE CFIG INSTRUCTING A 15 YR OLD CADET. ON OUR THIRD FLT OF THE DAY, WE WERE TAKING OFF WITH ASSISTANCE FROM A TRUCK AUTO-TOW WITH A 1500 FT ROPE. I INSTRUCTED THE TRUCK TOW DRIVER TO ACCELERATE TO 40 MPH, THEN EASE BACK AND CRUISE AT 35 MPH. SURFACE WINDS WAS 15 MPH, E. THE TKOF STARTED NORMALLY, THEN I NOTED THE LINE CAUGHT ON AN OVERGROWTH AND A SLACK WAS DEVELOPING, ALT WAS ABOUT 15-20 FT, CLB ANGLE STARTING ITS 15 DEG CLB. I STARTED TO REACH FOR THE ROPE RELEASE CTL, BUT GLIDER STARTED TO SINK. I PUSHED THE STICK FORWARD, NO RESPONSE AND THE GLIDER HIT THE GND HARD. WE BOUNCED, I COULD NOT GRAB RELEASE. THE TOW TRUCK, APPARENTLY ALSO DECELERATED AT THE SAME TIME THE SLACK STARTED. THE SPOTTER SAW THE GLIDER SINK, THE DRIVER THEN 'STEPPED ON IT' TO ACCELERATE. THE ACCELERATION PULLED THE GLIDER FORWARD AND AIRSPD INCREASED WHICH HELPED US NOT TO HIT THE GND A SECOND TIME. I STABILIZED THE GLIDER AT ABOUT 20-25 FT AND RELEASED AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG AHEAD. THE CADET WAS SAYING HER NECK HURTS AND COULD NOT MOVE IT. SHE WAS CHOPPERED BY EMS TO A HOSPITAL. THE CADET WAS FLYING THE GLIDER ON TKOF AS THIS WAS HER THIRD DAY OF ALL DAY INSTRUCTION AND HER 7TH OVERALL FLT. TOW DRIVER AND SPOTTER WAS NEW TO TOW DRIVING, BEING TRAINED THAT DAY. FAA WAS ON THE FIELD AND WAS AT THE SITE IN ABOUT 15 MINS AND IS CLASSIFYING THIS AS AN INCIDENT. CFIG HAS A SORE NECK AND SHOULDER. GLIDER HIT ON ITS MAIN WHEEL, A&P INSPECTION SHOWED NO DAMAGE TO GLIDER. IT WAS SIGNED OFF TO FLY AGAIN. BEFORE THE FLT I BRIEFED THE TOW DRIVER AND SPOTTER TO THE SPDS AND HOW TO DECELERATE SLOWLY TO 35 MPH. PROC HAS BEEN TO ACCELERATE TRUCK, THEN MOVE IT L FROM THE GRASS AREA TO A HARDER SURFACE ON L FOR RUNNING CRUISE, THIS MOVE MAY HAVE ADDED TO SLOWING THE TOW. WE NEED TO INSPECT THE LINE ON THE GND BEFORE TKOFS TO AVOID IT BEING CAUGHT ON ANYTHING ON GND. TRAINING OF DRIVER AND STUDENT PLT INSTRUCTION MAY NOT BE A GOOD COMBINATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	408190
Time
Date	199807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hdh
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 20
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 452 flight time type : 208
ASRS Report	408190
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Glider instructor, accompanied by a student pilot, of a SGS2-33A lost pitch control of the glider after lift-off during a ground automatic tow resulting in a hard landing, but no damage to the glider. However the student pilot received neck injuries and the reporter a sore neck and shoulder.