Incident summary

On May 26, approximately 3:45 PM,  pilot attempted to launch at Marshall.  Witness stated when the pilot picked the glider up off the ground the nose lifted from a wind gust and the right wing lifted.  Neither the pilot nor the nose wire helper corrected either of these conditions and the pilot yelled clear and started to run.  The wing did not achieve flying speed and rolled left, cartwheeling onto the ground.

Conditions

The winds recorded at Marshall at the time of the accident were south at 15-20 mph.

Emergency response

None

Injuries

None

Damage

Broken downtube

Pilot involved

The pilot is a current member of both USHPA and CSS with the appropriate rating for launching from Marshall.

Root cause

Pilot started launch run during a strong gust with the wing at too high an angle of attack and the right wing lifting.

Proximate cause

Pilot did not control wing during the gust and wait for a calmer cycle

Corrective action

Pilot stated that he put himself under time pressure because other pilots were waiting to launch and launched when he should not have.  Pilot acknowledged that he should have waited for a better cycle and not put time pressures on himself. Pilot also stated that he was wearing gloves that were slippery and will have better gloves in the future.