Near the town of Rosenburg, three people were killed in a tragic glider accident. While there is reason to believe a dolly on the plane’s tail is to blame, the behavior of the glider and the actions of pilot and the tow plane are being examined.
According to the Houston Chronicle, a 68-year-old man, his daughter and grandson were all killed on Father’s Day while family and friends watched horrified below.
From the Chronicle:
“I don’t understand how this crash would progress based on what’s in the report,” said Richard Carlson, chairman of the national Soaring Safety Foundation who has been gliding for 32 years. Soaring or gliding is the flight of planes without motors, similar to using a sailboat rather than a motorboat. Gliders are towed 5,000 feet into the air, then let go.
According to the federal report, released June 28, the glider and the plane towing it became airborne. At 75 feet above ground — a dangerously low elevation for the glider — both pilots, in a rare move, suddenly released the tow rope connecting them.
What happened next is more perplexing. The glider shot into a “steep nose-up attitude,” according to the report. Experts say the presence of the tail dolly, used to transport the glider on the runway, could have upset the glider’s stability, sending it up.
Because the glider is so light, the extra weight of the dolly on the back of the plane can make it difficult to control. According to the website of DG Flugzeugbau GmbH, a German company that manufactures gliding planes, “It’s absolutely necessary to remove this dolly before the launch.” Not doing so moves the center of gravity back, “possibly to a dangerous extent.”
The location of the accident rents gliders for only $24 an hour. A pilot must have 35-45 flights before they can fly solo. The pilot in this case had been flying for years.
Aircrafts like gliders and ultra-light planes are a common recreational activity for many people. But just like other aircrafts, these aren’t always safe. Aviation accidents happen, and while they aren’t always deadly, these accidents can cause serious and debilitating injuries.
If you’ve been injured in a serious Houston aviation accident and it wasn’t your fault, you could be left with mounting medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Kevin Krist has represented numerous accident victims in the Houston area, helping them to get compensation for their damages. Call 281-677-3958 today, or contact us online, to discuss your case with a local attorney and to see how he might be able to help.
