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Shoreham Airport, Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex -
United Kingdom
Phase:
Landing
Nature:
Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:
Shoreham Airport, West Sussex (EGKA)
Destination airport:
Shoreham Airport, West Sussex (EGKA)
Investigating agency:
AAIB
Confidence Rating:
Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative: The glider (part of the Swift Aerobatic Display Team) crash landed during the airshow. The glider was in a low level final turn to land when it stalled, departed controlled flight and crashed onto the runway. Pilot Mike Newman was able to free himself from the cockpit and was taken away by ambulance to Worthing Hospital for a routine check-up. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"G-IZII was to be flown at the Shoreham Air Show as part of a display by a team consisting of a glider and tug aircraft combination and two Twister aircraft The tug pilot positioned for the roll-on-tow just below the 500 ft cloud base, at between 80 and 90 kt, on the centreline of asphalt Runway 20 and with the crowd on his left.
The glider pilot performed three aileron rolls behind the tug but, as he regained upright flight after the third roll, considerable slack developed in the aerotow rope. The pilot disconnected from the tug before the slack was taken up and turned right to position for a landing at the launch point. As the launch point came into view, the pilot judged that he would overshoot it and he extended the airbrakes to bring the landing point closer.
Approximately seven seconds later, having crossed to the east of the asphalt runway, he realised he would still overshoot the launch point and that his only option was to turn left through approximately 180° to land on the asphalt Runway 20. He retracted the airbrakes and began a left turn. Figure 1 shows the ground track of the glider.
The pilot recalled feeling that the aircraft was “really low” and after about 45° of turn he felt the left wing drop as the aircraft departed controlled flight. Two seconds later the left wingtip hit the runway surface immediately before the nose, with the aircraft rolling left in a steep nose-down attitude. The nose section broke approximately half way along the canopy rail, although it remained connected to the fuselage, and the canopy detached before the aircraft came to rest.
The pilot was able to remove himself from the wreckage but was subsequently taken to hospital with back injuries".
Aircraft was written off (damaged beyond repair) and the registration G-IZII was cancelled by the CAA on 28/2/2011 as "Permanently withdrawn from use"