DG 400 hits Alpine ridge after early release and steep losing turn

After striking a north-facing ridge in the Ammergauer Alps at 1,520 m AMSL, the pilot of a DG 400 was fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed. An earlier self-launch had been aborted with engine trouble and a hard landing; the pilot was described as stressed. After aerotow from Ohlstadt-Poemetsried, the pilot released without announcement near the Soilasee at 1,690 m AMSL, flew about 500 m southwest, gained about 25 m, then entered a left turn at about 50 deg bank with 10 m/s sink and lost 170 m before impact about 10 km north of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

1. Aerotow to Ammergauer Alpen: DG 400 (17 m configuration, 1983 build, ~2,810 h total) on aerotow from Ohlstadt-Pömetsried (Bayern, ~50 km SW of Munich, 4 km SE of Murnau am Staffelsee) behind an ultralight at 13:34 local. Track ran ~12 km SW toward the Ettaler Manndl in the Ammergauer Alps. Pilot 66 yo, EU SPL with winch + aerotow ratings, self-launch endorsement July 2021; class 2 medical valid (VML). Total ~620 h / 621 flights; 44 h / 18 flights on DG 400; 11 h / 5 landings on type in 2023 (and the preceding 90 days). Ohlstadt-Pömetsried was the home airfield. Weather: light wind from NW freshening through the day; mostly clear; ~26 °C at the nearest reporting station (Munich).
2. Botched self-launch + hard landing: Earlier the same day the pilot had attempted a self-launch in the DG 400. He aborted due to motor problems and landed shortly after takeoff. A witness at the launch field stated the landing was 'nicht besonders gut gelungen' (not particularly well done) — i.e., a hard landing.
3. Pilot reported as stressed: A witness at the airfield reported the pilot appeared stressed on the day of the accident, following the earlier botched motor-launch.
4. Unannounced early release at 1,690 m: Near the Soilasee, in the aerotow track toward the Ettaler Manndl, the glider released from the tow unexpectedly early at 1,690 m AMSL. The release was not announced on the radio. The towpilot reported the tow itself had been uneventful with no radio traffic.
5. Flew 500 m SW toward the mountain: After release the glider flew ~500 m on a southwesterly heading directly toward the mountain (rather than turning back toward the airfield or away from the rising terrain), gaining ~25 m of altitude in the process.
6. Radio: pilot exclaims "Sch…" 3x: Approximately 20 seconds after the release, the towpilot — on his return leg toward Ohlstadt-Pömetsried — heard the glider pilot exclaim 'Sch…' three times over the radio. He turned back and discovered the wreckage on the ridge.
7. Steep left turn, -10 m/s, lost 170 m: FLARM/GPS data: the glider then entered a left turn at ~50° bank with a sink rate of ~10 m/s, losing ~170 m of altitude within the turn. The flight path past the turn was not fully captured by the recorder. From the last recorded point, the path to the impact site (~25 m lower) was ~70 m horizontal. Witnesses (hikers and a hang-glider pilot near the impact area) saw the glider flying at high speed directly toward the mountain without changing direction, with a brief upward pull-up and a hissing sound just before impact.
8. Impact on N-facing ridge, destroyed: At ~13:55 the glider impacted the mountainside ~35 m below the crest of a north-facing ridge in the Ammergauer Alpen, ~10 km N of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at 1,520 m AMSL. The aircraft was destroyed; the cockpit was crushed at the foot of the debris field with wings and tail separated, spread over a ~30×30 m area. Pilot fatally injured. No fire. Wreckage examination found no indication of technical defects. The BFU completed the investigation as a facts-only report (no analysis, no conclusions).