ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 29626
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| Date: | Wednesday 4 May 1966 |
| Time: | c. 1205 |
| Type: | Slingsby T.51 Dart 17R |
| Owner/operator: | Sailplane Services Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-GEN |
| MSN: | FMD 113 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Eyrewell State Forest, Canterbury -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Christchurch Airport NZCH |
| Christchurch Airport NZCH | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The newly-built Dart was on its first flight. It had been constructed by Sailplane Services Ltd, of which the pilot was managing director.
The glider was towed to a height of 5,300 feet over the eastern Eyrewell Forest and the towing pilot felt the glider cast off.
As he had been asked to photograph the glider and keep it under observation for the duration of the maiden flight the tow pilot looked around him but was unable to sight it.
After a search he noticed the wreckage of ZK-GEN in a clearing in the eastern part of the Forest and, landing nearby, went to the crash site where he found the pilot dead.
Two witnesses in different parts of the Eyrewell Forest both reported hearing two cracks and seeing the glider diving with both wings folded back and pieces falling from it.
Examination of the wreckage suggested that only seconds after the glider pilot had released the tow line the end of it had wrapped itself around the RH tailplane, ripping most of it from the aircraft.
Whether the glider had been released on a slack rope resulting in the end of the rope lifting up under the tailplane, or the glider had overflown the rope after the cast off could not be ascertained.
The glider's canopy was found a short distance away from the wreck and the pilot's safety harness was unfastened. It appeared that the pilot was about to bale out when the aircraft struck the ground.
Accident Report No.1630 concludes:
" Opinion.
33. The accident was caused by irretrievable loss of control occasioned by entanglement of the tow rope with the starboard tailplane, which was torn away at disengagement, and by subsequent failure of the mainplanes when the dive brakes were extended beyond limitation speed. "
Frederick Murray Dunn (40) R.I.P.
Sources:
Air Accident Report No.1630.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 02-Jul-2011 00:52 | Brick | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants] |
| 06-Jul-2011 23:30 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 18-Dec-2016 06:43 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 15-Sep-2020 01:44 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 23-Sep-2021 15:52 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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