Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

2nd one this year

So you know
http://www.crestlinesoaring.org/forum/20121007/7584

http://www.flytandem.com/accident/index.htm

Hasn't made the red dot corner yet. Has some interesting reading and maybe a few lessons in there (including this one). Let's keep those clearances out there.

Seems like every time there has been an incident at Andy Jackson lately it involved visiting pilots.

Looking through the red dots, I found this:

http://www.flytandem.com/accident/2012/009.htm

"Specifically the base tube is suppose to insert through a cylindrical bracket and a locating bolt crosses through the bracket and tube keeping the tube from coming out. But the tube was not inserted past the bracket hole meaning although the bolt was inserted through the bracket it did not go through the base tube. The base tube was free to slide out of the bracket."

The pilot flew 2 hours and landed without incident. The problem was discovered when he was breaking down the glider.

mrobin604 wrote:Looking through the red dots, I found this:

Wo, that's weird. 4 months later, in Big Sur, it happened to one of us. What happened to that video clip. Should we let WW know this is a "thing."

OP wrote:

mrobin604 wrote:Looking through the red dots, I found this:

Wo, that's weird. 4 months later, in Big Sur, it happened to one of us. What happened to that video clip. Should we let WW know this is a "thing."

See Page 11 of Falcon owner's manual: http://willswing.com/pdf/manuals/Falcon ... 202009.pdf

Make sure that the bolt passes through both the bracket and the basetube, thus securing the basetube to the bracket....
...Do not insert the basetube into the fitting at an angle, and do not force the fitting onto the basetube if it does not slide on freely. Check for dirt or damage to the inside of the fitting or the outside of the basetube....

You could add a "Make sure" to begin each instruction for assembly. Seems like this could use a poka-yoke feature.

Fact that it isn't already points to a conspiracy like this one:

Couldn't there be a sight hole so you could see if the tube is in far enough before inserting the bolt?

Glenn wrote:Couldn't there be a sight hole so you could see if the tube is in far enough before inserting the bolt?

The incident at Crestline was due to a deformed control bar that could not be inserted all the way into the bracket. The pilot in question is widely regarded as being an accident waiting to happen and so this came as no surprise to anyone. I happen to like the guy and have spoken with him about things he can due to reduce his 'statistics'.

As I have been advised, the incident at Big Sur was due to a camera bracket that was somehow obscuring the view of or interfering with the assembly process. This is not the first time a pilot was endangered by a camera bracket. There has been at least one fatality indirectly due to a camera bracket but it had nothing to do with glider assembly.

The end of the Falcon downtube to control bar bracket is open. All the pilot needs to do is look inside during assembly and see whether the control bar is fully inserted or not.

A simple gizmo to fool-proof the process would be to machine a plug from 1-1/8" diameter round stock that is a bright and contrasting color. The plug would fit into each end of the control bar and protrude just enough past the edge of the bracket to indicate full insertion of the control bar.

In fact, I like this idea enough to machine a set for myself but all I have is black Delrin. But even black Delrin contrasts well with silver anodizing.

As I have been advised, the incident at Big Sur was due to a camera bracket that was somehow obscuring the view of or interfering with the assembly process. This is not the first time a pilot was endangered by a camera bracket. There has been at least one fatality indirectly due to a camera bracket but it had nothing to do with glider assembly.

So it's the camera brackets fault?

OooooK!

<i>"The pilot in question is widely regarded as being an accident waiting to happen..."</i>

Now wait. I had nothing to do with this. The reason I don't fly much is to lower my chances of an accident.

Glenn wrote:<i>"The pilot in question is widely regarded as being an accident waiting to happen..."</i>

Now wait. I had nothing to do with this. The reason I don't fly much is to lower my chances of an accident.

I thought we all called you, "The Darwin Winner in the Making"?

NME, I like your idea. It's simple and would work.

Another simple, but less fool-proof idea would be to wrap a width of red electrical tape around the control bar, marking the in-board point where the control bar is seated correctly in the down tube.

On set up, all a pilot would need do is make sure that the control bar was far enough into the down tube that it met the tape. As I think about it, this would actually make it easy to visually check on a pre-flight.

The problem with this idea is that the tape would eventually wear off, and a pilot could still fail to visually check this feature. It would simply serve as a reminder, not a fail-safe.

Tape is fine, it last for awhile. A sharpie is another method that works well.

Because two people failed to fined the hole, within a short period of time, doesn't necessarily make it a manufacture's thing.

In fact I would think everyone has been checking their base tube more carefully, since.

October’s meeting minutes will be accessible in the next few weeks.

Discussion over safety reports was a big topic. Check the meeting minutes out and see what the board went over.

Some questions at the meeting:
What is considered an accident?
Should pilots have to give a report, or should the safety officer do it?

There were plenty of other concerns on safety. The topic took a good portion of the meeting.

Everyone at the meeting had something to add in looking for ways, which pilots could learn something that could improve his or her understanding of a sport that demands us, at all times, to keep our guards-up.

Quote:
I. Violations of the Federal Aviation Regulations, including but not limited to FAR part 103 and violations of the airspace usage requirements.

Airthug:
This is exactly what people here have been talking about... people cry for SOMEONE ELSE to take action, while they themselves break rules too.

How can you pick-and-choose which rules should be enforced and which to push aside?
_________________
Ryan Voight
BLOG: www.AIRTHUG.com
VIDEOS: http://vimeo.com/AIRTHUG

Check the thread out.

Read more: http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.ph ... z2AXs3vLJT

My base tube stuck about 2 years ago and I fixed the problem but may have created a new problem. I simply cleaned the black and dark grey grime off of the bracket and inside of the base tube using a paper towel sheet with a few drops of silicon on it. The new problem is the connection comes apart so much more easily that you may drop your down tube on set up while the glider is inverted, and break a strand of the flying wire if it hits a rock just right.

I usually tighten the bolt a partial turn on the pin during my pre-flight inspection.