Accident at Szeged WGC

On Jul 30, 2:47*pm, JJ Sinclair wrote:

Low energy becomes evident at the end of your finish. The guy who
can't make the 500'/1mile cylinder calls for a straight-in landing.
The guy that finds himself with low energy while trying to make a 50'
finish line eats the fence/ hits a truck!
JJ

A low energy final glide should be evident long before reaching either
the finish cylinder or one mile from a finish line. If there is no
lift and a marginal glide to the airport the choice is to either land
out or try to get over the fence. The pilot who passed through the
finish cylinder at best L/D and 200 ft is in exactly the same
situation as the guy at best L/D and 200ft and a mile out going for a
line finish or a rolling finish. The finish type makes no difference
when there is insufficient energy to make the airport but the pilot
continues to try for the airport.

The argument that the finish cylinder would increase safety in this
scenario may be valid if the pilot has the option to stop and work
lift to get up to minimum finish altitude. It may also be true that
there is an increase in safety if pilot choses to landout after making
the cylinder finish. That requires landable areas between the
cylinder circumference and the airport.

As a result of the accident WGC has changed from a line finish to a
cylinder finish. The Friday task sheet defines the finish as cylinder
R=3.0 km with a 140M QNH min finish altitude. According to the
turnpoints database Szeged is at 80M. Unless my calculations are
wrong the required L/D from a valid finish to the airport is 50:1.

The same choce remains - try to clear the fence or landout. The
points penalty for landing out is gone though, and maybe that's enough
to make it safer. Let's hope so.


Andy