Standing on the ground some 25 years ago I watched the last British owned Caproni A21 stoof its way into an asparagus field. What was more interesting was that I took off in it from Bideford-on-Avon with my syndicate partner about an hour before. It was a superb day for thermals. Big fat ones that gave eight to ten knots without effort. The deal was that we were going to give some people a ride later on, so we were returning to the field at about 110 kts or so. We had just overtaken a C150 and approaching 1,500' or so we hit a powerful thermal. As we did so, the flap lever popped out of its detent and we entered a violent pitch oscillation. At the end of the first cycle, entering the second one the right hand wing fell (OK, broke) off, rapidly followed by the tailplane and elevator. Game over!
Prior to this event there were seven other identical incidents resulting in 14 fatalities. As a result the manufacturer issued an AD to change the all-moving elevator into a standard fixed stabliser/elevator configuration. Unfortunately, we never got the notice that was issued three years beforehand.
We rehearsed what we would do if the glider became unflyable before every flight. We'd tell the other guy, release the canopy and then undo our harnesses. We fully anticipated that the canopy would not separate - it didn't! And if you think about it, a canopy separation is most unlikely because the only attitude these things are ever tested in is a normal one. But believe me, when things go wrong, the only attitudes you will ever see vary from abnormal to underpant-packing scary. For me though, releasing my harness (a superb Autoflug system, now EASA'ed out of existence) resulted in me being thrown onto the forward part of the cockpit underneath the fixed windshield.
After beating my way through the windshield with my elbows I was flung out towards the ground. My friend reckoned he would not be seeing me again. Our briefing though was to curl up in look for the D-ring - and it worked (well I am here). I now have five to seven seconds of parachute time. David though still had a battle to come. My departure caused the flight path of the airborne wreckage to change from an inverted negative g rolling one into a rolling phugoid path. When he jumped when it was easy; only to be pick up by the bloody fuselage a second later. Even when his chute opened he still wasn't out of danger. The detached wing flew around him like a demented combine harvester. Finally, his descent path took him into some domestic three-phase overhead power wires. Mine was a gentle descent (courtesty Messrs. Irving) into a grass field inhabited by a lazy horse.
David missed the power wires by climbing up the risers which resulted in him landing heavily on his coccyx on a couple's freshly watered front lawn. Walking like he'd just had a good night out in a Heaven, he attempted to obtain a medicinal G'n'T - but the occupants were too busy resuming their matrimonial argument to hear his request.
From the ground I saw bits glider zoom, flutter and swirl around the place. The detached wing landed on a path full of walkers. The T-Tail arrived in a small back garden missing everything. The right hand aileron landed in a small back garden where some very nubile girls (their clothes were far too small!) were sunbathing. The rudder descended vertically into a small gap between a brand new Mercedes 500SEL and a wall all within one metre of where a lovely lady had been gardening moments earlier.
However, two people were taken to hospital. Over the past few years, the village "God Botherer" had been telling anyone who would listen, and those who wouldn't, that God would smite them from the face of the earth. Especially heinous were those who frequented the pub. So when the entire pub rushed out, pointing at the sky, this was the message he had been waiting for. He lsot he plot in the road outside his house. So some nice people with blue flashing lights on the roof of their vehicle took him away. The other person was one of those who had just left the pub. Until that point, he didn't know he was an epileptic. Unfortunately, he suffered his first attack as he ran though a crop of fern asparagus, the plant that is used for flower arranging.
The other thing to suffer was the horse. He was fine when I landed but apparently took great offence to the police helicopter which landed in his filed after circling around for a while. This resulted in his condition being "stabilised" by the vet. His report stated "Overall, in my opinion this horse will never become sound again". Which was not a surprise because the poor nag had been shot by then.
It was a different sort of day. I'm glad we didn't hit anyone with the wreckage. It was also a "no news day" so we were hounded by the media. It was interesting as well as pretty good fun avoiding them. I had no problem gliding immediately after (with or without a parachute) but I didn't want to drive a car for a week. And it was this event that made it clear that I would have to give up an overpaid job (I still only earn half of what I did then some 25 years later) and do something else. Which I how I come to be here!
PM