Safety Notice

Tandem glider Sora 2 size 42 attachment points rupture

To our clients and colleagues,

Sunday the 27th of October, 2019 at Doussard (Haute Savoie, FRANCE) a pilot and his passenger flying with a SUPAIR SORA 2, size 42m2, experienced an incident in standard flight incurring the rupture of several attachment points on the A lines. The pilot in question threw his reserve and thanks to a cool head and good instincts there were no injuries.

The company involved which provided the tandem service is known to be serious and professional. They have used our tandems -the SORA 1 and SORA 2- for 6 years without incident.

The glider in question had been used approximately 500 times in normal flight conditions.

This incident has occurred one month after a previous incident of similar description, with the same model of glider, with a pilot from another company.

Our investigations, involving and lead by the swiss laboratory Air Turquoise, gave no indication of a particular structural flaw. We intend to look deeper in order to understand what has happened so as to find out if this is merely coincidental circumstances, or if it has as origin a specific problem.

While this investigation is underway and while waiting for the conclusions, which we will divulge to you completely, we ask that all pilots stop using the SORA 2 size 42.

We are fully aware of the difficulties which will be caused by this request, but in the case of the most minor doubt in what concerns safety it is the principle of precaution above all else which must be respected. Rest assured that we will search for a resolution as rapidly as possible in order that you may fly and work serenely and in total confidence with your SORA 2 glider.

Sincerely,

Laurent Chiabaut SUPAIR President