ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 58966
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| Date: | Thursday 16 January 1969 |
| Time: | 14:00 |
| Type: | Schneider ES-57 Kingfisher |
| Owner/operator: | A.J Fisher |
| Registration: | VH-GNW |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Big Talbingo Mountain, 3 miles S of Talbingo, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Big Talbingo Mountain, NSW |
| Talbingo Airfield, NSW | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and an assistant had rigged a launching device which utilized a bungee assembly of motor tyre tubes, and a vehicle and cable to launch a glider over the slope of Big Talbingo Mountain. It was intended that when the glider was released, sustained acceleration was to be obtained by the vehicle and cable moving away from the glider.
The weather conditions were favourable with the glider facing into a wind of 10-15 knots. The assistant positioned the vehicle such that the slack in the system was taken up before he spoke to the pilot who was now in the cockpit and who briefed him again on the required procedure. The vehicle was driven away, stretching the bungee assembly, but at a speed too slow to sustain acceleration of the glider after automatic release.
The pilot was aware of the situation, but was committed to the launch and when further movement of the vehicle automatically released the cable retaining the glider, the launch commenced and the glider moved forward without continuing to accelerate and rolled over the edge of the clearing. The left wing dropped and the aircraft continued to sink until it struck the rocky cliff face. The launching system, modified from one used previously by the pilot, was untried and the procedures to be used had not been practised.
It is also worth noting that the C of A for VH-GNW had expired two years earlier, on 15.2.1967; The glider had been involved in an accident and had been repaired and was subject to recertification procedures. Although there was no evidence that it was other than airworthy, a new certificate of airworthiness had not been issued.
The cause of the accident arose from the employment of an inadequate launch system; the aircraft was launched at a speed too low to sustain flight. The pilot survived the accident, but was seriously injured
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1969/aair/aair196901125.aspx
Images:
Photo: BASI
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Mar-2009 22:16 | angels one five | Added |
| 02-Apr-2014 02:07 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 11-Nov-2018 13:33 | harro | Updated [Photo, Accident report, ] |
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