On Aug 12, 10:16*pm, ContestID67 wrote:
I was sent this link from a UK soaring friend of mine about a death
when the wings came off of a glider during a winch tow.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...lunged-death-b...

Sad story. *A few things;

- My friend's thought was that the wing pins were left out. *Howerver,
this was the second flight of the day. *Both winch launches. *So I
would think that the wing pins were installed but the wings failed
under a winch load. *Which glider was it? *Older? *Wooden spars?
Never having had a winch launch, what happens if you don't release
back pressure at the top? *Can you pull your wings off? *Maybe
safeties on the pins were missed and the pins wiggled out on the
second flight after staying in for the first.

- I was under the impression that the BGA required parachutes for all
pilots. *Wrong? *1000 ft should have been enough to get out in time
but who knows what was happening in the cockpit or if she was 1000 MSL
or AGL at the time.

Thanks.

- John DeRosa

Getting back to the original subject, many Polish gliders have a
rigging system which consists of vertical tapered mainpins that expand
outwards on a screw to engage with the wing root fittings. This is
basically a good system because the pins stay as part of the
structure, so there is no separate mainpin that can be lost, and if
correctly assembled gives a positive, secure and play free joint. I
understand that the problem comes when the bushing that keeps the
expanding pins central becomes worn. Then it is possible that one half
of the pin may not fully engage in one of the wing root fitting, even
if the jack screw is fully tightened. I have a share in an elderly
Polish two-seater glider with two such taper mainpins. We are always
careful to check that these are fully and equally engaged in the wing
root fittings when rigging it, but it is easier to see this than in
the single seaters with a single pin. See:
http://www.sylacaugasoaring.com/SZD%...%20WARNING.htm

On the subject of bailing out, it is not compulsory to wear parachutes
in gliders in the UK, but it is normal practice to do so if the design
of the glider permits. We don't know exactly at what height the wings
fell off the crash glider (but probably less than 1000ft) and the
fuselage would have dropped like a stone without them. I doubt if the
pilot could have got out in time.

Derek C