[rudysteve]

Last Wednesday, I fixated on one aspect of my launch and the normal sequence I follow at takeoff disappeared from my mind. This resulted in a pretty dramatic crash that I am lucky to walk away from. For 30 years I have belittled other pilots (at least in my mind) for being glued to launch until the wind came straight in at some rate (6, 8 , 10 mph) that they believe ensures a great launch. On steep mountain launches, the technique I use works just fine in a dead calm or very light squirrelly winds.

At takeoff, I push into the downtubes with my shoulders while leaning forward until the glider is going to fall forward down the slope and the only thing I can do to keep it from rotating down and hitting on its nose is to rapidly accelerate into a full out sprint down the slope. I dive the glider off the launch until I am sure I have plenty of airspeed anywhere the slope is steep enough to allow it. This has worked for me since the early seventies. My landings may not always be pretty, but I have been very confident about my launch technique.

Wednesday looked like a great day to fly, with a good lapse rate and forecasts for light northerly winds. Our favored launch site around Reno is Slide Mountain at over 9,500’. Takeoff is at 8,200’ and is on the east side of the mountain. The prevailing wind comes from the west. So we are almost always flying with leeside conditions. In the morning, the thermals start coming up the sunny east facing slope and the west winds are generally light. Often the heat coming up the east face of the mountain provide perfect conditions during a late morning window. If you miss that window, the west wind can generally blow pretty hard over the back and down at launch. Often once it starts blowing down, you are out of luck as it just stays strong over the back for the rest of the day.

Wednesday a southwest wind kicked in earlier than we had expected (all the forecasts had predicted light north winds which work just fine). The wind would blow down and across takeoff at over 15 mph for 10 or 15 minutes, then let up for just a couple of minutes of calm, slightly uphill, or slightly cross breezes.

I was very hot to fly and had of course gotten my ATOS setup before it started blowing down. This happens a lot at Slide and I generally wait to see if the westerly’s are there to stay. When the westerly’s are not super strong, we can still get some short launch able cycles. The westerly’s (SW in this case) were pretty strong Wednesday, but it kept going calm for short cycles. Over the years I have launched Slide dozens of times in those mellow cycles after it has initially switched to blow down.

Wednesday when I got a calm window, I got my rigid wing on takeoff and checked all the wind indicators very carefully. The calm periods had been lasting only a couple of minutes and I certainly didn’t want to start a takeoff just as the downwind kicked back in. All of my attention to the wind seemed to make my normal launch steps/technique disappear. I decided the wind was good and started sprinting down the 60 degree slope. It only takes a couple of steps to be moving very fast. Unfortunately, I did this without first rotating the glider nose down to ensure it was diving off the launch with me.

I felt my right wing dragging on the brush pretty quickly. This was happening since the swept tips of the wings won’t clear a steep slope when the pilot has the wing level or nose up. If you are pointing the nose down, the wingtips stay way off the ground. At this point, I was moving somewhat faster than I can run down an extremely steep slope with low rock and brush while the wing was rapidly yawing to the right (since the right tip was dragging in the brush). I believe I came completely clear of the slope in a seriously stalled and side slipping attitude. I was pulling in to get the wing flying and am pretty sure I got over the stall a little more than a hundred feet below takeoff. So now I was flying. The flying part was mighty short – I was flying across the slope to the right (since dragging the right tip had yawed me that way). I also had the downslope (left) wing high since the yaw had given it a little airspeed while the right wing nearer the slope was low. The big issue at this stage was that I was flying at only 2/3rds the height of the tall pines on the mountainside immediately in front of me (well below takeoff on the right).

There was a 20 or 25 foot gap between the downslope tree on my left and the upslope one on my right and fairly clear air beyond the gap. My only option was to bank the ATOS hard right and try to squeeze its 42’ span through the gap vertically. That would have left me turning back into the hill pretty hard even if it had worked. Instead, I clipped both trees and got turned left (downslope) a bit more. My left wing quickly hit a third tree that was farther down the slope. I think that completely stopped the left wing and spun me around to the downslope side of that tree.

I don’t know what happened in the air as I dropped from near the top of that third tree, but when the dust cleared I was under the topside of the glider between the nose and the last tree I had hit. I checked that all the fingers and toes worked and Alex Cuddy was down to the crash site to assist before I had had time to get all the grit out of my mouth and nose. Sierra Granite erodes into very small sharp gravel and sand. I am sure the give in all that loose grit on the mountainside cushioned the blow quite a bit.

Paul Hurless joined us at the crash site as we looked over the three pieces of my right wing and the busted keel. They helped me break the glider down and they hauled stuff back up to the road. Alex made lots of trips carrying stuff up and down the loose slope while all I could handle was getting myself back up the two hundred feet of unstable slope. Alex then drove me to the emergency room. Eight hours and five CAT scans later, I got released with the news that the only thing broken was thoracic vertebrae number 7 – which had a minor compression fracture. This will heal on its own in 6 to 8 weeks as long as I avoid using my head (and spine) as a battering ram in the meantime.

My ATOS may not be repairable, (Anyone have an ATOS with a busted left D-tube willing to sell their good right D-tube?) but I was very lucky. My beginner mistake (launching nose high) put me in a basically out of control situation that dropped me over 200 vertical feet before pounding into the mountainside. This was a surprisingly good crash - to have come out with only a very minor fracture, a sprained neck and back and a handful of scrapes and bruises. Lesson learned: If there is something about the conditions worrisome enough to distract you from your standard launch technique, just pack the glider up and fly another day.

Steve Rudy – Reno, NV – rudy.stephen@yahoo.com

[Skyhighwoman]

The Steve Rudy that used to fly the Bay Area?

HI

Glad you are okay.

I helped one time with the Swift crashing below I think where you are describing. That is a heck of a hall back up.

Speedy recovery and I hope you can get your bird repair or replaced.



Carmela

[NMERider]

Welcome to the forum, Steve. Honestly, all you had to do was drop by and say hello. We no longer have these rugged initiation rites but do appreciate the sacrifice nonetheless. You certainly got my attention. A friend of mine had a similar experience with his own Atos last Fall at Pine Mountain in Ojai, CA where he escaped with a broken shoulder and D-cell repairs. I'm glad you'll make a full recover and be able to fly again before too long.
Cheers, Jonathan

[HangDiver]

Welcome to the site and THANK YOU for the write up. Who among our more experienced pilots haven't stood on launch in iffy conditions thinking we could pull it off.

Thanks again for the write-up.

[miguel]

Glad you are ok. I was your baggage/passenger for your tandem certification.

[Sky_Walker]

Thanks for sharing this valuable lesson, glad it wasn't more costly for your health. Hope you recover quickly !

[Spark]

Steve,

Thanks for sharing that story. Glad you're OK. Sorry about your glider

[Paul H]

From a spectators point of view I can honestly say it was the worst blown hang glider launch that I have ever seen. It was the kind of event that your mind seems to slow down so that you can clearly see and anticipate everything that is happening and will happen next. I arrived at the crash site a few seconds behind Alex and I was not expecting to see Steve still breathing. He's a very lucky guy. Over 200' down a very steep slope and he just missed a big boulder after he came down off the the last tree. The right leading edge of his glider did a great job at absorbing the crash as it collapsed under him from what looked to be a wingtip first impact. I was amazed and relieved to hear him answer us as we slid down the hill to him. His glider was upside down with the nose pointing downhill so it rolled as it fell to the ground. His harness riser had pulled halfway through the left wing flap so it must have flung him around pretty good when it impacted.
Steve's post gives a very good description of what the rest of us saw when he launched.

[rfh12345]

[Kreebog]

Sorry about your glider, but thanks for sharing the story. It's very sobering to hear that pilots with 30 years of experience can still make such simple mistakes.

Glad you weren't too badly hurt!

[John C]

Welcome to the forum, rudysteve. Sorry to hear of your crash but glad you can tell us about it. We will look forward to a report of your next flight with its recovered pilot.

[hiflioz]

[HangDiver]

[FMAN]

Thanks for posting this rudysteve, I got a pretty good visual from your explanations. Glad you're okay. Thanks Hiflioz for attention to procedures to help each other if we get hurt too. Adrenaline makes it very difficult to judge your conditions. Wasn't there a pilot land in the surf at Funston years ago that actually stabbed through his hand cutting his hang loop and didn't notice?

Fred

[noman3]

[Wingspan34]

rudysteve,

First off, welcome to hanggliding.org. It takes some courage to make your first post in connection with a blown launch. I too am glad you're okay, and you've given us a few things to think about. None of us are perfect after all.

But, . . . what are the things we should be thinking about regarding your crash?

(* * *Caution, this is where I play the bad cop to everyone else's more or less good cop.* * *)

You mention that you have solid launch skills that result in consistently good launches. But in this case, you lost - or over looked - those skills? You also mention that the skills you've developed allow you to launch (confidently?) ". . . in a dead calm or very light squirrelly winds".

You go on to mention that you often fly at a site (Slide Mountain) where the winds can often start to blow down at some point and that on this day the early and unexpected SW wind ". . . would blow down and across [the east facing] takeoff at over 15 mph for 10 or 15 minutes, then let up for just a couple of minutes of calm, slightly uphill, or slightly cross breezes."

I was able to visit Slide Mountain once. My buddy and I didn't fly, because - as I remember - it was blowing down. But as a result, I have a fairly good mental picture of the launch and some idea how the conditions you're speaking of could have effected any attempted flight there. Again:

First off, I would go along with you on the nose high comments. It's NEVER good to launch nose high. And on the glider you were flying, combined with the steepness of the slope, launching nose high was real bad.

My comments (criticism) would begin with this: If your launch form is SO ingrained and well established then WHY did you forget (?) to implement it on this particular day?

I too feel that I have good launch form, but the evidence lies in the fact that I use it CONSISTENTLY. Also, depending on the day and launch site, I have additional features within my launch skill repertoire which I unerringly (for a human being) implement in consideration of the particular conditions.

Part of me understands that a big part of your point is that even ingrained launch skills can be completely forgotten under certain circumstances. And while this begs the question of why and how you became so distracted, it still leaves the idea that your solid(?) launch style/technique is not very ingrained if you forget how to properly launch - at the moment when you are LAUNCHING.

But as I said earlier, none of us are perfect. We are all human and we can all make mistakes. So you make a valid and graphic point regarding a serious mistake in your launch form and what can result. Very bad things can result.

Now we can look at the HOW & WHY that launch form mistake was made, . . .

LAUNCH CONDITIONS! You were distracted by the launch conditions!

I've got to say that there isn't a site that I'd EVER fly if the winds were blowing across and down at 15 mph - even with 2 - 3 minute "lulls". So, if I'd set up and then saw the situation degrade into such conditions I'd, regrettably, pack up the glider and go home.

Below you will see a screen capture from Google Earth showing Slide Mountain looking from the NE toward the SW. I think I'm correct in saying that launch is along the road that runs across that "knoll" in the foreground.

That's a BIG mountain rising up (to the SW) behind launch. I'd like to be nice, but, . . . launching from that site in a strong (15 mph) SW crossing down wind just seems . The lulls you mention were just those (sucker) eddies that cause inexperienced Beginner and Novice pilots ask "Why can't we launch NOW?".

rudysteve,

I've been flying for 30 + years myself and I'm really questioning your decision to launch at all in those conditions.

It may be typical in lighter (westerly wind) conditions to launch in the early to mid morning due to the up hill winds created by the heating of the east facing slope. But that obviously wasn't the case on the day in question.

You were sitting in the wind shadow (and lee side rotor!) of a BIG mountain clearly demonstrated by the mostly 15 mph cross and down winds. I wonder what speeds those winds were on the unobstructed SW (Lake Tahoe) side of the mountain? 25 mph, maybe?

So, there you go. I know I can be blunt, but I also gave a warning. That's what I'm seeing as the real problem with your accident - i.e., launching on a day when you should have stayed on the ground.

Perhaps you could learn a little from those "other pilots [who are] glued to launch until the wind [comes] straight in at some rate (6, 8 , 10 mph) . . .".

It's pretty hard to belittle pilots who launch safely in good conditions as compared to (cocky?) pilots who launch in seriously questionable (cross and down at 15 mph) conditions - and almost die. In this post I offer you a little humble pie. Perhaps you've munched on a slice or two already.

Better luck in the future.

[Skyhighwoman]

WS34

The best of the best of pilots can have a lack of jugdement for whatever reason. You see your buddy flying, theres a camera, your showing off for the family/friends, You drove X amount of hours to get there, I've done it before. There is no reason sometimes you just want to fly. etc etc.

I like said, I watch a millenium take off in similar conditions. For what? He was flying for the newscamera. He kept saying I do not like this. I kept saying THEN DON'T DO IT. He then took off with the left wing never really flying. He is scrapping bushes on his launch and went way down the hill before clipping a tree and center punching another one.

When he smashed in my reaction was to find his wife. Before I could turn around to look for her there was this FLASH that bolted by me. It was his wife full bore down the face of the mtn. (They were both avid downhill skiers.) It was insane to watch her run down the face like that.

He got on the radio to say he was okay a bruised chin and a very smashed up glider. We could only hope she did not get hurt. Thankfully she was fine as well. Very scary to watch!!! I am not sure what was worse at the time. Him crashing or she running down the face of Slide.

You pay the price going through the washing machine but I guess the rewards are worth it? For the convengence out in the valley. Someone who flies there can probably answer that question better.

BUT in the end I am with you I would NOT launch if it is blowing down.

[fly,surf,&ski]

Every pilot I know that flys Slide regularly has a story about "going though the washing machine"

IT's a "BIG AIR" site

Always flew the west facing sites in the afternoon when I lived there.
But then again I hate rotor!!!

Edit- BTW I flew into such a gnarly rotor in UTAH I fractured my elbow getting slammed around in the control frame while flying. Lucky it was a sleeved downtube, or I probely would have had to deploy. SCARY STUFF!!

So it's not only the launch that can get you flying in rotor.

then again Berkley hang gliding club launches hang 2's at slide so it must not be that bad???

[rudysteve]

Wingspan34 has plenty of good points about my crash. First, don't launch when it is blowing down. Again, I have been flying this site for 15 years and Walt's Point in the Owens for 25. They both are normally flown in leeside conditions. As long as the thermal conditions up the east and south facing mountainside are overpowering the upper west winds everything works wonderfully. Sometimes the transition to blowing down is strong, abrupt and unlikely to stop - we pack it up. I think that is always the case at Walt's Point. At Slide, the transition is often milder and the anabatic winds win out intermittently. I have had dozens of great flights launching from there after the winds had initially blown down. Granted, many of those flights started out with a bit of a rollercoaster ride near the mountain. Wingspan34 is right that it is much riskier to launch anytime after it starts blowing down on a leeside site.

Second, launch technique isn't ingrained if you forget it when launching. To this point, all I can say is that I have been flying since 1972 and the only nose high launch attempts I remember were in the very early days before I developed a set launch technique.

So my analysis of my error comes down to a combination of the two points Wingspan34 makes. Because it had blown down harder and with shorter gaps than what I normally accept, I was fixated on the wind. This fixation pushed my normal launch sequence out of my mind. I was rushing to take off before the downwind returned and totally blew it. If I had just leaned into the downtubes with my shoulders until the nose was pointing down the slope, the calm conditions would not have been a problem.

As usual it comes down to ego. My ego pushed me to make a flight even though it depended on catching a very short lull in the strong downwind conditions. At best, I was sure to hit strong sink and turbulence once in the air. My cockyness has taken a major blow, so I expect I will be packing the glider back up when the conditions get anywhere close to that iffy in the future.

Steve Rudy

[hiflioz]

Steve, the following outstanding and deservedly famous article by Mike Meiers made me significantly change my approach to decisionmaking when flying (or, more importantly, NOT flying). It helps identify whether the risks you are taking are acceptable, or not, and how to identify risky decisions and build in a safety margin.

http://www.alpenglow.org/paragliding/writing/safety-thing.html