Janus Ce winch-launch abort at low speed — stall, student solo
During a training winch launch at Bartholomae, the student of a Schempp-Hirth Janus Ce was fatally injured and the instructor seriously injured. With indicated airspeed only about 70 km/h at 50 m AGL, the instructor pushed forward and released the cable to abort the launch. Witnesses then observed a right turn followed by a steep nose-down descent. The aircraft entered an overstalled state and impacted farmland next to the runway, a stall after a low-altitude launch abort with insufficient airspeed.
- Winch launch climb: During an evening training flight from Bartholomä, the Janus Ce began a winch launch on RWY 34 and climbed slowly after a long ground roll to about 50–60 m AGL.
- Low tow speed: The winch launch was conducted with insufficient tow speed, prompting the instructor to radio a request for higher winch speed.
- Early launch abort: At approximately 50–60 m AGL, after the student reported he could no longer control the glider, the instructor pushed forward and released the winch cable to abort the launch due to low speed.
- Right turn after abort: Following the cable release at low height, the glider entered a right-hand turning flight instead of continuing straight ahead for a landing.
- Stall and steep descent: In the low-altitude right turn the glider’s airspeed remained too low, leading to an over‑stalled condition and a very steep, nearly vertical descent.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted almost vertically into a field east of the runway, destroying the aircraft, fatally injuring the student and seriously injuring the instructor.