Discus 2cT stalls in low left turn on circuit — deviation, no recovery margin

On a circuit at Hamburg-Boberg, the pilot of a Discus 2cT was fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed. After a 45-minute thermal flight following aerotow, the pilot returned to land. Abeam the landing marker on the RWY 30 circuit, instead of turning right onto downwind, the pilot initiated a left turn at about 150 m AMSL, 600 m south of the threshold, deviating from the standard pattern. The turn tightened, airspeed decayed below stall, the glider dropped left and entered a near-vertical descent with no recovery altitude, impacting a meadow about 18 s later.

1. Aerotow and thermal flight: Aerotow 15:44 from Boberg RW 30, released ~950 m AMSL after 5 min. About 45 min of thermal flight east and south of the airfield.
2. Return to airfield: Returned from south at ~350 m AMSL on a NW course; reached the position abeam the landing marker for RW 30.
3. Pattern-procedure deviation: Instead of the standard right turn for downwind (per club operating rules), pilot initiated a left turn at ~150 m AMSL, 600 m south of the threshold.
4. Tightening low-altitude left turn: Turn tightened while logger showed altitude held nearly constant — kinetic energy traded for height. Possibly chasing weak lift.
5. Airspeed decay below vmin → stall: At 16:32:12 TAS (QN) dropped below 70 km/h (stall speed). Glider dropped over the left wing.
6. Near-vertical descent: Witnesses saw the aircraft enter a near-vertical descent behind trees. Flight manual cites recovery height up to 200 m; available ~150 m insufficient.
7. Impact on meadow: At 50 m AMSL on a meadow ~600 m south of the RW 30 threshold, 18 s after the turn began. Aircraft destroyed; pilot fatally injured.