Shoreham glider incident 22/08/10

[MichaelJP59]

Not sure if this incident has been discussed:-

YouTube - Shoreham Airshow 2010 Glider Crash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbulrrQVig)

And some stills:-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09531s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09532s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09533s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09534s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09536s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/alfarobert/Shoreham%20Crash/DSC09539s.jpg

Amazingly, the pilot is OK but with back injuries. Does anyone know what happened? It looks as though the turn is simply too steep for the airspeed but apparently the pilot is display qualified and very experienced.

[cats_five]

I think we are seeing the end of a stall-spin accident. I agree it seems unlikely given the pilot's experience, but time will tell - a report will be produced and since the pilot is basically OK he might have some useful input.

[pulse1]

I am not a frequent airshow visitor but even I have seen too many "display qualified and very experienced" pilots have this sort of accident. The worst was a Breguet Atlantique at Farnborough. This looks like a classic tight turn in a strong wind gradient (quite turbulent) with insufficient airspeed. But why did he still have the brakes open?

[oversteer]

Sobering video.

I guess, in a bizarre twist of fate, he's lucky he wasn't a few hundred feet higher when that happened.

[Flyingmac]

Note the fuselage disruption behind the wing. Looks like the wing strike dissipated a lot of energy before the nose hit. Lucky man.

[ShyTorque]

An amazing set of photos and an amazing escape. Not so amazing why it happened. Lucky pilot.

[CessnaCJM]

Sadly I think had he started higher this may not have happened as he may have had enough speed and 'energy' to complete the turn

The cloudbase was between 2-300 feet and windy on the Sunday and its debatable whether the display should have taken place at all on such a poor weather day.

Utmost respect for the Pilot but if you push the limits they will one day bite you

[18greens]

To quote someone 'It looks like he ran out of height speed and ideas all at the same time'. An impressive tribute to the aircraft structure that he walked away.

The pictures are amazing showing all of the structure deformation. That wing bends a lot in contact with the ground then looks like it returns to normal. I especially like picture 3, it looks like the old cartoons of the guy who gets his aircraft shot away around him and ends up flying through the air holding just the stick.

I know we are all supposed to run from crashed cars and planes since they all burst in to flames but why run from a glider? I think I'd just lie there

[jez d]

Amazing shots

I do hope the pilot was sitting on a cushion of Dynafoam

Magic stuff that has saved many a pilot's spine from dire injury

I wish him a speedy recovery

[cats_five]

<snip>
I know we are all supposed to run from crashed cars and planes since they all burst in to flames but why run from a glider? I think I'd just lie there

If that happened to me I suspect I wouldn't be thinking very logically immediately afterwards.

I thought I saw the nose come up in the video, not sure how quickly that glider loses airspeed, also noted the hill in the background and wondered if the change in the horizon might have been anything to do with it - it's something that has caught out a few people ridge soaring before now.

[cats_five]

Amazing shots

I do hope the pilot was sitting on a cushion of Dynafoam

Magic stuff that has saved many a pilot's spine from dire injury

I wish him a speedy recovery

Yes oh yes. I did a nasty landing a few months back and was absolutely fine (so was my glider - we checked it, seat pan out etc.) but had I been dropped on my bum without the glider & dynafoam I would have broken my back. It's a problem for big guys if they are struggling to close the canopy with no seatpad of any kind.

[Zulu Alpha]

An update on the pilot here:

Swift Aerobatic Display Team : Team News (http://www.swiftteam.airshows.org.uk/news/2010/09/team-update/)

and he is very experienced:
A former racing driver who turned his focus skywards to become the 2006 Intermediate and Unlimited UK National Glider Aerobatic Champion in 2008 and 2009. A gliding instructor and aerobatic coach, He competes at Unlimited level and flies the S-1 Swift and the MDM-1 Fox with the team

[Rod1]

From the Team site;

Much has happened since the accident at Shoreham on 22nd August. Team members have worked with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and British Gliding Association (BGA) to investigate the glider accident and learn what lessons if any to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Despite some reports in the press, the accident was not due to the weather or a failure of an element of the flying display. The crash occurred whilst the glider was in circuit for landing.

We are very grateful that the press covering the airshow have been respectful and not sold their detailed pictures of the crash sequence, but have made them freely available to help with investigations.

The glider pilot, Mike Newman suffered from 3 broken vertebrae but is on the mend. He moved hospitals this week to be nearer home, and can look forwards to another month on his back to help his spine heal naturally.

The Team would like to make one last thank-you to our friends and supporters for the hundreds of messages and “get well soon” emails. If anybody would like to send Mike a card, please use the Contact Page on our website to ask for his Hospital address.

The Team has been keen to honour our remaining season’s commitments. We are extremely grateful to John Marriott for the loan of his beautiful Pilatus B4 Glider for our appearances at Clacton, Little Gransden and Dunsfold and we are planning on flying RAFGSA Cosford’s ASK21 for our display at Southport and the Dutch MDM-1 Fox for Sanicole.

[davydine]

Ouch!

I saw the swift aerobatic team display from the clacton air show on the local news. Looked incredible to be flying a glider over the sea on such a blustery day. I assume they landed at Clacton airfield. They were one of the few aircraft to display due to the poor weather. I wondered why they were flying a B4 rather than the swift.

I hope he gets well soon.

[NutLoose]

Odd how it broke the gliders back at the word Ass

Lucky guy!!! :eek:



Shoreham air show crash pilot escapes as stunt glider smashes into runway | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1311828/Shoreham-air-crash-pilot-escapes-stunt-glider-smashes-runway.html)

[Saab Dastard]

Thanks Nutloose, only 5 months late with this one.

SD