Summary
On July 24, 2009, a Schweizer SGU 2-22CK (N3907A) was involved in an accident near Ephrata, WA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The premature launch signal given by the wing walker.
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were onboard the glider readying it for an automobile tow launch. The CFI reported giving the 'take up slack' command to the wing walker, who was steadying the wings. Before the slack was taken up by the tow vehicle driver, the wing walker prematurely gave the launch signal. The tow driver then accelerated and the glider was suddenly launched into the air. The CFI attempted to control the glider by applying full forward elevator and simultaneously attempting to release the tow line. The glider struck the ground with the line still attached and was again launched into the air as the tow truck continued to accelerate. The tow line then released and the nose of the glider struck the ground.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA368. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3907A.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The premature launch signal given by the wing walker.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were onboard the glider readying it for an automobile tow launch. The CFI reported giving the 'take up slack' command to the wing walker, who was steadying the wings. Before the slack was taken up by the tow vehicle driver, the wing walker prematurely gave the launch signal. The tow driver then accelerated and the glider was suddenly launched into the air. The CFI attempted to control the glider by applying full forward elevator and simultaneously attempting to release the tow line. The glider struck the ground with the line still attached and was again launched into the air as the tow truck continued to accelerate. The tow line then released and the nose of the glider struck the ground. The glider sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage structure during the accident sequence.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR09CA368