WINCH LAUNCH HAZARD ASSESMENT

Revisions
5 aug 08 cstoltz First Issue
5 aug 08 zs_glw Additional items added, reformatted
5 aug 08 markus_graeber Additional items added, reformatted

LAUCH ACTIVITY HAZARD DESCRIPTION LIKELYHOOD SEVERITY COUNTERMEASURE(s)

STAGE

Pre- Staging Guests or Members could be injured during LOW MEDIUM Crowd control / barriers
Launch cable handling
Glider Hook Up Accidental movement of cable while handling LOW MEDIUM Winch Operator does not start engine until "Take up
it, or standing in front of glider slack" signal is given. Engine warm-up to be done with
drums disengaged.

Launch Launch Signal Glider launch path is not free of obstructions, LOW HIGH Launch marshal positioned to the side and behind the
limited field of vision for the pilot glider (wing) relays launch command to winch with the
entire glider (including its tail) plus its launch path in full
view

Start of ground run Glider could overrun cable and entangle it with LOW
main wheel while taking up slack
HIGH Pilot must release immediately when overrun occurs.
Keep hand on or near release knob
Use stiff section of cable at glider end to prevent it
snagging on the glider
Winch must be equipped with serviceable, maintained
guillotine, in case snagged glider cannot release.
Launch marshal must have communication with winch
driver to stop launch in an emergency.

Glider overrun results in chute snarled in tail or LOW VERY HIGH Ensure sufficient length of cable between chute and
tailskid. Result glider uncontrollable rings to prevent this.

Cable snarls when cable comes under tension LOW
MEDIUM Always lay out the cable in front of the glider without any
loops and without any part of the strop/trace/parachute
assembly crossing any other part of it. When the cable
comes under tension it has to be able to straighten out
freely without crossing any other cable part in the
process. Properly straighten parachute before launch in
line with the winch cable.

Wing tip could hook into grass or turf, causing LOW
high energy ground-loop
HIGH Do not launch from areas with high grass or vegetation Aggravating Factors:
in the ground run area Crosswind could lift wing
Wingrunner could hold back wing
Glider not aligned with pull of cable
Pilot must release when, or before, wing tip touches.
Keep hand on or near release knob

Pilot could be pushed back into seat, loss of MEDIUM HIGH Use very firm seat cushion / chute combinations
control, hit head Very tight seat belts.
 Pilot's hand could slip from release knob when LOW
attempting to release under high tension
Glider could veer to the right or left on initial LOW
roll. Glider could collide with people or objects.
Tail damaged by impacting the ground during MEDIUM
rapid acceleration.
Rotation to climb Insufficient airspeed for glider angle of attack MEDIUM
could result in stall-spin close to ground.
Uncontrollable rotation due vertical couple LOW
between low release location and glider CG
during rapid acceleration.
Low altitude cable break, glider climbing too MEDIUM
steeply to recover for safe landing with
available hight above ground.
Climb Weak link or cable break – low altitude. MEDIUM
Glider flying into chute after cable break
Weak link or cable break – higher altitude. MEDIUM
Glider spins after cable break due to aileron, MEDIUM
rudder or airbrakes applied at low airspeed.
HIGH Do not wear slippery gloves.
Be aware of extra force needed to release under
tension.
HIGH Make sure glider is aligned properly with winch / cable,
cable should not have a significant bow and be pulled as
straight as possible if previoulsy guarded on the side
(e.g. in the case of cable #2 when 2 cables are used).
Have wing runner on downwind wing to avoid
aggravating "weathervaning".
Make sure area to the sides of takoff area is clear of
people and obstacles
Pilots should anticipate yaw induced by horizontally
offset hooks.
LOW Extra person required to hold tail down on ground as
launch starts with some types.
Winch drivers must be briefed not to accelerate too
rapidly with susceptible types.
HIGH Do not start rotation at too low of an airspeed.
Rotate to climb attitude gradually, approx 5 seconds
from start to full climb; monitor airspeed to be sure it
does not drop.
Do not start rotation until wings are level and no rudder
is being used to correct crab.
Correct for crosswind conditions after full climb attitude
and airspeed are achieved
HIGH Winch drivers must be briefed not to accelerate too
rapidly with susceptible glider types.
HIGH Launch profile must be flown such that a safe recovery
is possible at all times.
LOW Pilot should land straight ahead if there is sufficient
runway length ahead.
Ensure there is sufficient length of cable between
release rings and chute.
LOW If insufficient runway length is available ahead, pilot
should fly a circuit onto an available runway. Options
should be pre-planned before launch.
MEDIUM Pilot must lower nose and wait for airspeed to recover
before opening airbrakes or initiating a turn.
 Cable break could result in a wire drifting
across power lines; risk of fire and
electrocution
LOW HIGH Use as small drogue chute as possible
Pick winch and launch line locations with consideration
to cable drift in case of cable break
Make sure winch is grounded
"Jump" clear of winch when dismounting: do not touch
the winch and the ground at the same time if there is a
chance the cable is in contact with a power line

Live cable picking up other cable during launch LOW HIGH Cables must be kept well apart during tow out. Tow out
with multi drum winch must be in a straight line.
Do not attach chute onto non-live cable so that if it gets
picked up the glider does not trail a fully deployed chute.

Downwind cable should be launched first.

Clear cable before launching next cable if one drifts
across the other.

Over speed at top of launch MEDIUM LOW Lower nose and release if speed is too high.
Always use weak link as recommended by manufacturer
to prevent damage to the airframe.

Round-over & Release Release failure LOW / HIGH HIGH Make sure guillotine is functional and winch operator is
prepared to use it.
Use proper weak link
Be prepared to pull HARD on release, do not wear
slippery gloves.

Release under tension causes cable to loop MEDIUM LOW Lower nose to reduce tension prior to release.
and tangle on drum.

Cable Snarl-up jams drum while towing out cable. MEDIUM LOW Use a weak link (1/4" rope) to hook cable to the retrieve
Retrieve vehicle
In the event of above weak link breaking, tow out should
not be resumed until permission obtained from winch
driver.

Cable Cable could be pulled from winch or retrieve LOW HIGH Repairs must be done with the winch and retrieve
Repairs end while being handled vehicles shut down or disconnected from the cable.
No vehicle or aircraft ground traffic near any part of the
cable.

Could snag hand on broken wires or hardware HIGH LOW Do not run hands along cable, even with gloves on.
if running cable through hands Use stick or tool to hold cable.
Wear gloves whenever handling cable.

Any Time Cable/weak link break causes hardware to LOW HIGH Ensure that weak link is connected correctly with the
During snap back and hit the glider leading to control weak link housing remaining with the trace/parachute
Launch surface damage assembly in case of a weak link failure.

Shackle cable connection unexpectedly opens LOW
during launch
Cable break/damage due to wear/cable snags
All Times High speed wire movement LOW
Broken cable ends hardware whipping around LOW
could injure members, guests
Strop should be max about 3 meters long to avoid that
any hardware parts can reach any control surfaces.
Strop has to have sufficient length for weak link
assembly/hardware to stay clear of the fuselage/nose
when under tension.
MEDIUM All connections need to be verified when the cable is
layed out and hooked up to the glider
Winch driver should always visually inspect the cable
during tow-out to check for any visible wear/cable snarls
and immediately stop the tow out vehicle in case
something unusual is detected to allow for verification
before the next launch.
LOW Crowd control / barriers
MEDIUM Crowd control / barriers