Date:	Saturday 24 September 2022
Time:	10:56 LT
Type:	Schleicher ASW 20L
Owner/operator:	South Down Gliding Club
Registration:	G-CFRW
MSN:	20202
Year of manufacture:	1978
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Hurston Lane, Pulborough, Storrington, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Parham Airfield, Pulborough, West Sussex
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Schleicher ASW 20L crashed in a field in Hurston Lane, Pulborough, Storrington, West Sussex. The pilot sustained serious injuries and died at the scene.

Shortly after an aerotow takeoff and during a noise abatement turn to the left, the glider released the tow at approximately 300 ft agl. The glider then pitched down rapidly and struck the ground in a nose low attitude at high speed. The pilot was ejected from the aircraft during the accident sequence and was found approximately 26 metres from the aircraft. He sustained fatal injuries.

Conclusion
The aircraft took off with the elevator control disconnected and control of the aircraft was lost shortly after becoming airborne. The aircraft struck the ground in a steep nose-down attitude and the pilot sustained fatal injuries.

Regardless of the type of control connection used on a glider, Positive Control Checks offer the ability to detect a mis-rigging condition before flight. In the case of G-CFRW, it is unlikely that Positive Control Checks, were carried out.

=Safety actions taken by the British Gliding Association=
• Published an online ‘Safe Rigging Toolkit’ with significant emphasis on the human factors associated with mis-rigging.
• At the time of publication of the AAIB report the BGA is planning an animated video to provide guidance to BGA members for rigging gliders.
• The BGA is also reviewing the DI book format to include a dedicated box to record a Positive Control Check. A signatures box for when ‘rigging is complete’ and ‘independent rigging checks if required’ are also being considered

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ef20c3da8451001463242f/Schleicher_ASW_20_L_G-CFRW_10-23.pdf
2. AAIB Annual Safety Review 2023 p.114: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6604534991a320001182b13d/AAIB_Annual_Safety_Review_2023.pdf
3. https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2022-09-24/man-dies-after-glider-he-was-piloting-crashed-into-field
4. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/22612708.air-ambulance-pulborough-field-glider-crashed/
5. https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/emergency-services-on-the-scene-as-plane-goes-down-in-pulborough-3855382
6. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/22612708.air-ambulance-pulborough-field-glider-crashed/
7. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19907502/man-dies-glider-plane-crash-sussex/
8. https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/man-dies-after-glider-crashes-7624442
9. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FatXSAQX0AAmpFD?format=png&name=900x900 (photo)
10. BFU Germany October 2022 Report BFU22-1003-DX:
https://www.bfu-web.de/DE/Publikationen/Bulletins/2022/Bulletin2022-09.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2 p.16
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulborough

Schleicher ASW 20L was built in 1978, and first registered on the British Gliding Association (BGA) register as BGA 3475. It became G-CFRW on 11 January 2008, and had three owners from that date. The registration G-CFRW was cancelled (and the airframe de-registered) on 21 July 2023 as \"destroyed\"

The AAIB has published a report into a fatal accident involving a Schleicher ASW 20 L (G-CFRW) which occurred near Pulborough, West Sussex on 24 September 2022. Read the report here https://t.co/4SipTT2nhO #AviationSafety #GeneralAviation pic.twitter.com/qfTUQpViSi

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) August 31, 2023

Emergency services are at a field in #Pulborough where a glider is believed to have crashed.https://t.co/IJNeS9pv4d

— Brighton Argus (@brightonargus) September 24, 2022

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Sep-2022 13:08	gerard57	Added
24-Sep-2022 14:08	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative]
24-Sep-2022 14:55	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, Plane category]
24-Sep-2022 16:01	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
24-Sep-2022 18:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, Category]
24-Sep-2022 18:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
24-Sep-2022 18:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Sep-2022 03:00	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Source, Narrative]
25-Sep-2022 08:17	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative]
25-Sep-2022 08:18	Aerossurance	Updated [Departure airport, Damage]
25-Sep-2022 21:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Category]
25-Sep-2022 21:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Category]
25-Sep-2022 21:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Category]
26-Sep-2022 06:35	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative]
26-Sep-2022 06:57	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source]
26-Sep-2022 06:57	harro	Updated [Aircraft type]
26-Sep-2022 14:35	RobertMB	Updated [Source, Narrative]
31-Aug-2023 09:46	harro	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]
05-Mar-2024 18:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
31-Mar-2024 08:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
31-Mar-2024 08:14	ASN	Updated [[Source, Embed code, Narrative]]