Well, not so much elevator authority but rather pitch stability. The further aft the CofG the less stability you will have. Also, in a stall situation you want the nose to drop to reduce AoA which is much easier with a forwards CofG (ie Gravity lends a hand). With an aft CofG the opposite is true which makes it a lot harder (or impossible)to get the nose down.
Glad to hear that there were no fatalities from the accident Brian describes, that could easily have come out differently.

In conventional airplane longitudinal stability (static) archived by adding horizontal stabilizer at slight negative angle of attack and high thrust line, and so called CG-CL-T line (CG- center of gravity, CL-center of lift, T downward pressure on stabilizer )is balanced.

When CG moved too much AFT (off the limit) longitudinal stability is no longer balanced which also associated with expression "tail heaviness". As direct result if airplane get into the stall insufficient elevator authority prevents it from proper recovery! In other worlds, both longitudinal stability and elevator authority represents "cause and effect" relationship.

I stand corrected (time to revisit my primary training textbooks )...

The young man who was injured in the NZ crash is expected to make a full recovery and is still keen to fly. Report in the Christchurch Press has some photos, including of the busted glider (a PW6):

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2474382/Crash-survivor-still-wants-to-fly

smith

A couple of photos to bump (between camps)

Making the old man proud


not that fat looking down at the camera

Great news!

He'll never live down being photographed in a Blanik! Cool shot though - did he go up?

Yes of course! (Only 10 yr old)



after the discus I cannot condone Blanik love (while shrugging and fleeing/skulking away...)

Another great thing about soaring is Eagles teach you dogfighting skills

i've finished soaring training in lesce a few weeks ago; here are some pictures i took (click to enlarge):

a blanik on ground with another one landing:


one blanik preparing to start with another one waiting:


a blanik releases the tow rope:


a view of the hangar, restaurant, tower and a pawnee towing a blanik:


a blanik performing a spin:


view of the city of jesenice:


lake bled (sorry for the crappy picture :P):


our fleet of blaniks - one l-13a and two l-23 super blaniks:


me just releasing the wing of a blanik:


overall the feelings are great. i only regret not having taken up soaring sooner :P. it would have been easier if i was, say, 16 or so :P.

i've was even able to fly in the club's fox - i was allowed to fly her the entire length of the tow and (after the instructor finished the aerobatics) to bring her in for the landing .