# Accident 19980909023019A: Glasfl H301BLIBELLE, Tucson, AZ, September 9, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 1998, 13:10 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Airport: El Tiro Gliderport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.2206° N, 110.9707° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2206&lon=-110.9707&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2200, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Glasflugel H 301 B LIBELLE (registry code 3800339, https://openairdocs.org/model/glasflugel-h-301-b-libelle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GLASFL H301BLIBELLE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,929 total, 559 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA289) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980909023019A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

GLIDER EXPERIENCED AILERON PROBLEMS ON TAKEOFF TOW, AFTER THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FROM THE TOW IT STRUCK A BUSH AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.23)PILOT EXPERIENCED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEMS DURING AERO TOW TAKEOFF.  AIRCRAFT ASCENDED TO APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET AGL, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT COULD NOT CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT.  PILOT RELEASED FROM TOW AND USED RUDDER TO INITIATE A TURN TOWARD THE RUNWAY.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY BY APPROXIAMTELY 20 FEET, GROUND LOOPED, AND STRUCK A BUSH.  THE FUSELAGE BROKE IN HALF AT A POINT AFT OF THE WINGS CAUSING THE TAIL SECTION TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE GLIDER WAS STORED DISASSEMBLED ON A TRAILER.  UPON ARRIVAL AT THE GLIDERPORT, HE PROCEEDED TO REASSEMBLE THE GLIDER.  HE ASSEMBLED THE WINGS FIRST, AND THEN CONNECTED THE AILERON PUSH RODS, WHICH ARE SECURED WITH BALL LOCK SAFETY PINS.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN INSERTED THE PINS IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT AILERON PUSH ROD ATTACH FITTINGS AND MOVED THE CONTROL STICK TO CHECK THAT THE AILERONS WERE PROPERLY ENGAGED.  NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE REASSEMBLY OF THE GLIDER OR THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE  FIRST TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED DUE TO A LACK OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH AT THE TIME HE ATTRIBUTED TO DUST DEVILS IN THE VICINITY. ON THE SECOND TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMBOUT NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED UNTIL HE REACHED 100 FEET AGL, WHEN THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT.  AS THE TOW PLANE MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT, THE GLIDER TURNED TO THE RIGHT.  THE PILOT RELEASED THE GLIDER FROM THE TOW PLANE AND APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON TO STOP THE ROLL.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE GLIDER MAINTAINED A 10-DEGREE RIGHT WING DOWN CONFIGURATION.  UPON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A BRUSH AND THE GLIDER GROUND LOOPED.  THE GLIDER WAS INSPECTED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT AILERON ATTACH PIN WAS INSERTED INTO THE FEMALE PART OF THE JUNCTION, BUT NOT THROUGH THE BALL JOINT OF THE AILERON PUSH ROD.  THE PUSH ROD WOULD HAVE BEEN LYING IN THE FITTING, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED.  THE PILOT FURTHER ATTRIBUTED THE LACK OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON THE FIRST ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF TO A LACK OF AILERON CONTROL THAT HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE AT THE TIME.  NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE GLIDER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA289), Sep 9, 1998: Glasflugel H 301 B Libelle (N2200), Tucson, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the pilot to properly connect the aileron controls during reassembly of the glider, and, his inadequate preflight inspection of the glider.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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