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| Date: | Thursday 22 July 2021 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robin DR.400/180R Remorqueur |
| Owner/operator: | Vol à voile Club Valais |
| Registration: | HB-KAW |
| MSN: | 1707 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1985 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bex Airfield (LSGB) -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Banner and glider towing |
| Departure airport: | Bex Airfield (LSGB) |
| Bex Airfield (LSGB) | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the occasion of the Swiss Junior and Regional Gliding Championships, which took place in 2021 at the Bex Airfield (LSGB), five tow planes were used to tow the gliders participating in the competition. The single-engine tow plane, a Robin DR.400/180 R registered as HB-KAW, was equipped with a winch and a retractable 54-meter towing cable. The HB-KAW was stationed at the Sion airfield (LSGS).
After participating in a briefing with the competition organizers, the pilot of the HB-KAW took off from runway 33 at 11:58, towing a single-seat glider. This was his very first tow flight at the Bex airfield. After releasing the glider near the Col de Bretaye, the HB-KAW pilot began descending to land at Bex. He retracted the towing cable using the automatic retraction system by activating the corresponding toggle switch to the "EIN (cable retraction)" position. However, as the cable did not appear to retract—indicated by the analog display in the cockpit showing the needle positioned at "100% CABLE EXTENDED"—the pilot reported the issue on the Bex radio frequency. The rearview mirror located above the canopy did not allow him to see the towing cable.
In fact, the tow cable was still almost fully extended, which was noticed by someone near the start of the runway just before the tow plane landed. Shortly afterward, the tow cable collided with the tip of the left wing of a glider lined up for takeoff. This caused the glider to rotate approximately 100° on its vertical axis and severed the left winglet. In the process, a second glider was slightly damaged, and a nearby person was slightly injured. The tow cable broke, and the fuselage of the tow plane sustained minor damage.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
STSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 7 April 2018 | HB-KAW | Sion Aéroport (LSGS) | |
unk |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Dec-2024 10:23 | ASN | Added |
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