ASW 24 wing drop at 150 m AGL — first thermals attempt with 100 min on type
After a winch launch at Dingel, the pilot of an ASW 24 was fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed. The pilot had 265 hours on gliders but only 100 minutes on type across four flights two years earlier. Following a normal launch, the pilot searched for lift and started right-hand circles at about 150 m AGL near the winch. The glider abruptly dropped over the right wing and entered a steep nose-down attitude, impacting a wooded area about 500 m west of the RWY 23 end.
- Winch launch from Dingel: Winch launch at 14:32 from Dingel, RWY 23 in use; observed as normal. Wind W 5 kt, vis >10 km.
- Very low time on type: Pilot held SPL since 2007 with 265 h on gliders, but only 100 minutes on the ASW 24 across 4 flights in 2020. Last check ride with an instructor was on 25 April 2021.
- Low-altitude thermal circling: Pilot tried to find a thermal near the winch in right-hand turns at about 150 m above the ground.
- Right wing drop, steep nose-down: Witnesses saw the glider abruptly drop over the right wing and enter a steep nose-down attitude.
- Forest impact ~500 m W of RWY 23: Impact in a wooded area (~25 m trees) about 500 m west of the RWY 23 end. Aircraft destroyed; pilot fatally injured. BFU found no technical defects and no pre-existing medical condition.