SAFA Skysailor Magazine

36 SKY SAILOR January | February 2024 AIRS Safety Wrap-up #1198 – New Year Day HG accident Strezzy, NSW PIC arrived with their hang glider at Strzelecki Lookout (NSW). Conditions were marginal, the pilot was not flight current, and had only 5.5 hours airtime on a new glider. The tide was out, leaving a small stretch of sand that could be used for landing in an emergency. After launching, the PIC turned right, but not enough to stay in the lift band. PIC regained the lift band during the beat south, but fell out of it again on the left turn and was unable to regain it. Realising the only option was to land in the small patch of sand, PIC pulled in the bar. On approach, the pilot did not leave the prone position and had little to no flare authority. The base bar impacted the sand, resulting in the nose hitting and PIC swinging through, impacting their head. With a sore neck, the pilot unclipped and waved to other pilots above to let them know they were okay. PIC then went to John Hunter Hospital, where an X-ray revealed fractures of vertebrae C2, 3 and 7, requiring surgical fusion of C1-4. There was no lasting neurological damage. Always wear a helmet, and if a back or neck injury is suspected, DO NOT MOVE! Await medical assistance. Pilots should thoroughly consider the decision to launch when lacking flight currency, flying a relatively unfamiliar wing, in marginal conditions or with extremely limited landing options. If it does not feel good, don’t go chasing a flight; just don’t do it. When confronted with a threatening situation such as this landing, do not lose sight of the necessary actions to take to make a safe landing, rather than being totally fixated on flying into the intended landing spot. #1340 – Long Reef north-east PG accident, 15 October 2020, NSW PIC (PG3) had arrived with their PPG wing to fly Long Reef NE (NSW). The SO in attendance advised the pilot that launching from the usual launch site was not recommended due to the strength of the wind, the stronger gusts, the slightly cross conditions, and the fact that the wing was a PPG wing. This recommendation was not accepted by the pilot involved, who cited their previous experience at the site. The pilot was able to launch satisfactorily. The SO launched from an alternative site, lower down near the beach, as they felt it was too strong to launch from the usual launch site. The SO officer described the conditions as very strong but penetrable with an EN-D wing at launch height. The SO did not stay long since the conditions were marginal. Other club pilots had elected not to fly that afternoon as conditions were not ideal at this site or other sites further up the coast. The accident occurred some time after other pilots had left the area, somewhere between 1-1:30pm. The witness described the pilot as making deliberate ‘oscillating’ manoeuvres 15m in front of launch at about launch height (30m ASL). The wing was seen to collapse during one of these manoeuvres, the pilot was unable to recover the wing before falling to the ground at about 15m ASL on the steep slope.