SAFA Skysailor Magazine

40 SKY SAILOR November | December 2022 unsecured. The pilot notified the SSO by radio that the problem had been spotted and they intended to land immediately on the beach, they then flew out over the water to lose height, trying to protect the reserve pouch from the wind. On landing the reserve fell out of the harness onto the ground, still in its deployment bag. Prior to any flight, a thorough pre-flight inspection must take place, including all harness leg and chest straps, carabiners, speed system (for PGs) and whether the reserve pouch securing system is in place. Never get distracted by other people talking to you whilst doing your pre-flight checks. If distracted, start again. In this instance luckily the pilot spotted the reserve being unsecured and landed before any incident could occur. #1507 – PG landing accident at Rosin’s Lookout bottom LZ, Qld/S A PG2 pilot flew from Beechmont (Qld/S), on their second flight of the day. They had been soaring for approximately 30 minutes before heading to the LZ on Pocket Rd. PIC conducted figure-8 height-loss manoeuvres, but realised on final approach that they still carried too much altitude, which would have brought them into conflict with livestock and pow- erlines. PIC executed a final right-hand turn while low, which resulted in an accelerated pendular impact with terrain. PIC suffered stable hairline fractures in L4/5 vertebrae and a stable hairline fracture of a heel. Close monitoring of sink rates and altitude are required when coming in for a landing. Always ensure that all manoeuvres are conducted AIRS Safety Wrap-up prior to the final approach. If a final turn is unavoidable, keep the turn flat by using weight- shift alone. Avoid the use of brakes to maintain energy levels and reduce the risk of stalls. Low-hours pilots should be aware of the risk of a pendular swing at low altitude; the impact that could arise usually involves a lot of energy and the risk for injury is considerable. #1365 – PG at Sunrise Beach, Qld/S PIC was flying Sunrise Beach (Qld/S) from the Tingira Crescent launch. Initially flying a small wing (Little Cloud GT22), they were not able to maintain height without breaching the rule of 30m separation from houses, so chose to land, and return to launch on a larger glider, a 25m Niviuk Artik 4. The pilot launched and whilst doing so, the wind gusted, and the pilot was picked up. Not penetrating forward, the pilot attempted to locate the speedbar with their foot. They missed the speedbar and put their leg through the loop thus being unable to use the bar. Whilst this was occurring, they swung left and right, due to over input from the brakes. This resulted in the pilot being pushed back over launch onto the back railing and a bench, narrowly missing a member of the public. The wing then dragged them across the railing, where they contacted a car and a van. The wing then wrapped over the top of the powerline behind launch, bringing the pilot to a stop, then unwrapped from the powerline and fell to the ground. The pilot was uninjured, no members of the public were injured, no damage to the glider. The parked car sustained minor damage. The pilot exchanged details with the owner of the car