Schleicher ASW 24, G-CGDU, Robert James Brimfield (regd. owner): Accident occurred April 30, 2012 on Harling Road, in Eaton Bray, Near Dunstable, Bedfordshire

The pilot was carrying out his second flight of the day from a winch launch. He turned downwind and was seen to make an orbit to the right before continuing downwind. The glider made a brief, steep, wings-level climb before levelling off at a height of about 300 ft. It then banked to the left, before entering what was described as a spiral dive to the right. After turning through approximately 270°, the glider impacted the ground in a steep nose-down attitude. The pilot was fatally injured. The most likely cause of the accident was a stall leading to a loss of control, with insufficient height available to recover.

https://www.gov.uk

The scene of the crash near Harling Road, Eaton Bray on Monday afternoon (April 30) 

Published on Wednesday 2 May 2012 11:16
 

AN investigation has been launched after a man was killed when the glider he was flying crashed in Eaton Bray on Monday afternoon.

Emergency services attended the scene, close to Harling Road, after a call from a member of the public was made shortly after 2.30pm.

The victim was a member of the London Gliding Club, based in Tring Road at the foot of Dunstable Downs.

The last fatal glider accident in the area was more than seven years ago.

East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson told the Gazette: “First and foremost our thoughts are firmly with the man’s family at this tragic time.

“It was evident that nothing could be done on our arrival and the man was pronounced dead shortly after.”

Police assisted the ambulance services and set up a roadblock. An air accident investigation is under way.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, the UK’s aviation regulator, said yesterday: “The investigation could take months, but when it is released the report will be thorough.

“It’s not good to speculate what went wrong at this stage.”

The identity of the man had not yet been released by the Bedfordshire coroner’s office when the Gazette went to press.

A spokesman for London Gliding Club said: “We can confirm that this crash involved one of our members.”

Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire, voiced his hope that the pilot’s death would not be in vain.

He said: “I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the man who was killed when his glider crashed. I will be looking to see that all lessons are learnt from this sad incident so that we can avoid any tragedy in future.”

Engineless gliders are towed by a plane to a height of between 2,000ft and 4,000ft to get them off the ground, before travelling at speeds of up to 70mph.

Typically it takes between 50 and 80 flights with a qualified instructor before a gliding enthusiast is allowed to fly solo.

As the pilot was flying on his own, it would indicate that he was an experienced flyer.

No one else was hurt in the accident.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch, which is conducting the investigation, said that the last fatal glider accident in Dunstable was in August 2004.

Club member Peter O’Donovan died in the Luton & Dunstable Hospital from injuries he received in the incident.

Mr O’Donovan, a construction manager from Lewsey Farm, had just left the ground after a winch launch when his glider began an unusually steep climb. The craft was at an altitude of 100 feet when it plummeted nose-first into the ground.

A 52-year-old club member was killed when his glider crashed near Dunstable in 1998.

The London Gliding Club was founded in 1930. In 1939, member Geoffrey Stephenson became the first person to glide across the English Channel, flying from Dunstable to France.

Source:   http://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk