Accident to the Centrair 101 Pegase registered F-CGSV on 10/01/2021 at Mantes-Chérence (Val-d’Oise)
Passage en position haute lors du décollage, largage du câble par le pilote du remorqueur, perte de contrôle lors du demi-tour, collision avec la végétation
Cat. 2 investigation report: simplified-format report, adapted to the circumstances of the occurrence and the investigation stakes.
The pilot announced that he was ready for a towed take-off from runway 30 of Mantes-Chérence aerodrome while the canopy was misted. After take-off, the glider quickly rose higher than the tug and deviated left from the axis because the pilot could no longer see the plane. When the tug pilot detected this deviation, he released the cable, reduced the throttle and cleared the runway.
While the glider was at a height of 17 m, the glider pilot turned around to the left in order to land on intersecting runway 04. During this turn at low height, he lost control of the glider which collided with the vegetation.