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Gliders - 2022

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In 2022, the BEA published 16 reports concerning glider or tug accidents and incidents. The accidents resulted in three fatal injuries. Two other people were seriously injured. Five topics are particularly dominant in these reports. Several of these topics were identified in the review of the glider accident reports published in 2021.

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1. Pilot incapacitation

Signs of hypoxia can occur from an altitude of 1,500 m. The symptoms can be immediate or delayed and include in particular fatigue and cognitive impairment. It is generally at the end of the flight that these impairments may produce effects, without the pilot being aware of the problem, at a time when he or she may also be experiencing fatigue due to the duration of the flight. The combining of these unfavourable factors makes the management of the flight and the assessment of aerological conditions more difficult for the pilot. The pilot's age and medical history may also be additional risk factors.

The report on the accident to F-CFKS on 19 July 2020 at Saint-Doulchard mentions possible moderate hypoxia as a contributing factor to the loss of control.

One person was fatally injured in this occurrence.

This topic was also identified in 2021 in three reports concerning accidents in which three people were fatally injured, two of which hypothesizing that pilot hypoxia may have contributed to the accidents.

2. Unusual position of glider in tow

An unusual position of the glider in tow can lead to a destabilisation of the combination or even to a loss of control in flight. The DSAC (French Civil aviation safety directorate) and the FFVP (French glider federation) have recently issued reminders about the threats linked to the glider being higher than the tug and the measures recommended to avoid this situation in the following videos concerning a taut towing cable and high positions in towing (both videos are in French).

It is strongly recommended that the tug pilot releases the cable as soon as he has control difficulties, as well as the pilot of the glider as soon as he loses sight of the tug.

The report concerning the accident to D-KCHR on 29 May 2020 at Nogaro illustrates this safety topic.

Similar occurrences giving rise to reports published in 2022:

In these two latter accidents, the pilots were hampered by mist on the glider's canopy, which contributed to the failure to hold the flight path during the towing phase. The FFVP Training and Safety Commission has published a safety bulletin which indicates that pilots should not start the take-off if the canopy is misted up or, if the canopy mists up during the landing run, should release the cable immediately. Although jettisoning the canopy is not mentioned, it remains an ultimate solution. However, one can imagine that this decision is not made easily.

One person was fatally injured and one was seriously injured in the three above-mentioned occurrences.

This topic was also identified in 2021 in three accident reports in which one person was fatally injured, one was seriously injured and one suffered minor injuries.

3. Safety margin in relation to terrain

It is usual for a glider to use uplifts close to the terrain. The safety margins are reduced and the manoeuvring height does not always permit the pilot to regain control of the glider in the event of an unforeseeable event.

The Safety in Mountain Flying guide available on the CNVV (French national gliding centre) website sets out the essential recommendations for mountain flying. In particular, it addresses the techniques of flying near the terrain and aerological traps.

A favourable environment for uplifts does not always guarantee their presence, it is thus necessary to maintain a sufficient height margin.

The report concerning the accident to F-CLMR on 14 March 2022 at Volonne illustrates this safety topic.

This accident did not result in any injuries.

This topic was identified in 2021 in five accident reports in which two people were fatally injured and one was seriously injured.

4. Confusion between controls

Despite the colour coding of the most common glider flight controls, the position of the controls in the cabin is not standardised and can sometimes be very different from one glider to another. It is essential to recall the position of the controls before the flight to limit the possibility of confusion.

In 2015, the FFVP published a bulletin about the possibility of pilots confusing controls and how to prevent it. It is recommended that pilots visually check the position of a control to be operated before making any input on it and check the direct effects of their actions. When faced with an unexpected situation, it is also recommended to check that the correct control was in fact operated.

The report concerning the accident to F-CJLL on 17 April 2021 at Oloron-Herrère illustrates this safety topic.

Similar occurrence giving rise to a report published in 2022:

These two accidents did not result in any injuries.

A report on this subject was also published in 2021, concerning an accident in which one person was seriously injured.

5. Prevention of cartwheel (loss of control during take-off run)

During the take-off run, both towed and winched, as soon as the pilot detects that he/she cannot keep the wings level, he/she must activate the release handle as soon as possible in order to avoid a cartwheel with catastrophic consequences. The pilot must act before a wing touches the ground, in a dynamic or even very dynamic flight phase, in the case of a winch take-off.

A video explaining the cartwheel phenomenon, produced in 2019, is available on the light aviation safety portal. It reminds pilots that they must grasp the release handle just before the cable becomes taut, whether it is a winched or towed take-off.

This recommendation now appears at the bottom of the rear side of the Vital actions before take-off checklist, which has been standardised for all FFVP clubs.

The report concerning the accident to F-CILE on 7 September 2021 at Saint-Sulpice-des-Landes illustrates this safety topic. During this occurrence, the pilot, who already had his hand on the release handle, immediately released the cable. This action prevented a cartwheel and limited the possible injuries for the pilot.

This topic was identified in 2020 in three reports concerning accidents that did not result in any injuries.

Other reports published in 2022 include:

One person was fatally injured and one person was seriously injured in the above-mentioned occurrences.