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| Date: | Sunday 31 May 2020 |
| Time: | 14:45 LT |
| Type: |  Schleicher ASK 21 |
| Owner/operator: | Taupo Gliding Club |
| Registration: | ZK-GTG |
| MSN: | 21865 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2009 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3027 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mt Tauhara, Taupo -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Taupō Gliding Centre - Centennial Drive, Taupō |
| Taupō Gliding Centre - Centennial Drive, Taupō | |
| Investigating agency: | TAIC |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
An instructor from the Taupo Gliding Club conducted a trial flight with a short-term member (the student). The flight was the second of the day for the instructor, who had previously flown a similar trial flight with another short-term member.
The instructor flew over the Mount Tauhara walking track near the southeastern face of the mountain. The glider was observed by witnesses walking the track from near the trig station on the summit. The glider was last seen flying past the trig station at about the same height as the trig station, but on the downwind side and with the left wing down. The witnesses saw and heard the glider’s left wing strike scrub and, as it subsequently went out of their sight, they heard further sounds of impact. Neither occupant survived the accident.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission found that the glider impacted terrain while the instructor was likely attempting to escape from a situation where the glider was at a low height above the mountain and downwind of the ridge face. Despite the instructor’s efforts to manoeuvre the glider away from rising terrain on the right-hand side, a collision with the terrain became unavoidable.
The Commission found that the Taupō Gliding Club had limited systems in place to positively verify that pilots had an appropriate level of competency to soar on Mount Tauhara.
The Commission also found that the Taupō Gliding Club procedures for instructor training and ongoing competency were not in accordance with Gliding New Zealand’s Manual of Approved Procedures.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12336150
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121693894/communities-grieving-for-pilot-woman-killed-in-taup-glider-crash
http://www.taupoglidingclub.co.nz/club-fleet.html
https://www.taic.org.nz/inquiry/ao-2020-002
Images:
Taupo 20Dec2011
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-May-2020 07:03 | Spitfirepilot19 | Added |
| 31-May-2020 07:03 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 31-May-2020 11:55 | RobertMB | Updated [Location, Phase, Nature, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Jun-2020 06:09 | JMW69 | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, ] |
| 01-Jun-2020 15:54 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Registration, Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jun-2020 12:52 | JMW69 | Updated [Aircraft type, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jun-2020 12:56 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jun-2020 20:07 | JMW69 | Updated [Registration, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Jun-2020 09:15 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 17-Jul-2020 12:46 | flyernzl | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 09-Oct-2021 02:59 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 02-Feb-2022 01:08 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator, Location, ] |
| 02-Feb-2022 02:14 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 13-Nov-2023 13:55 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
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