20120810027359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schleicher ASW-22BLE 50R · Uvalde, TX · August 10, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: August 10, 2012 · 13:05 local
Place: Uvalde, TX
Airport: Garner Field
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: OK2227
Reported as: Schleicher ASW-22BLE 50R
Reported engine: WANKEL AE50R
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,149 total300 in this make and model96 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During takeoff roll of a self launching glider, the glider pilot did not abort his takeoff, ran out of taxiway and went into a ditch and back up the other side. The glider was not damaged externally but internally. The landing gear box seperated from the fuselage due to the rough terrain in the ditch. The taxiway was being used for launching. During run up, prior to launch, the brakes are set by pulling back on a lever that also controls the speed brakes. Once the engine powers up, the pilot releases the lever and locks it in place, in the forward position. If the lever is not locked the speed brakes will deploy, preventing the glider from reaching take off speed. This is what kept the glider from becoming airborne. The pilot was not injured.

As the FAA filed it

DURING TAKEOFF ROLL OF A SELF LAUNCHING GLIDER, THE GLIDER PILOT DID NOT ABORT HIS TAKEOFF, RAN OUT OF TAXIWAY AND WENT INTO A DITCH AND BACK UP THE OTHER SIDE. THE GLIDER WAS NOT DAMAGED EXTERNALLY BUT INTERNALLY. THE LANDING GEAR BOX SEPERATED FROM THE FUSELAGE DUE TO THE ROUGH TERRAIN IN THE DITCH. THE TAXIWAY WAS BEING USED FOR LAUNCHING.DURING RUN UP, PRIOR TO LAUNCH, THE BRAKES ARE SET BY PULLING BACK ON A LEVER THAT ALSO CONTROLS THE SPEED BRAKES. ONCE THE ENGINE POWERS UP, THE PILOT RELEASES THE LEVER AND LOCKS IT IN PLACE, IN THE FORWARD POSITION. IF THE LEVER IS NOT LOCKED THE SPEED BRAKES WILL DEPLOY, PREVENTING THE GLIDER FROM REACHING TAKE OFF SPEED. THIS IS WHAT KEPT THE GLIDER FROM BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.