A GLIDER pilot died after part of his aircraft fell off during take-off and caused him to hit the ground nose first at a Monmouthshire air field, an investigation has found.

Steve Evans, 54, died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash at an airfield operated by South Wales Gliding Club in Gwernesney, on Saturday, July 27, last year.

An inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that while the glider was being towed for take-off, its tailplane, which is used to provide stability, fell off.

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Club members assisting with the launch signalled for it to be aborted, but the message did not reach the tug pilot, and Mr Evans also did not appear to hear or see the warning.

The glider became airborne and reached an altitude of up to 80ft, but when the tow cable was released the aircraft’s nose dropped and it “descended steeply to the ground”, the AAIB said.

Mr Evans was removed from the glider and airlifted to hospital in Cardiff.

He died five days later from “complications arising from his injuries”.

The investigation found that the tailplane had not been correctly attached when the glider was assembled by Mr Evans, with the assistance of other club members, on the morning of the crash, but the precise reason could not be determined.