Standard Cirrus spirals into trees after over-banking a turn off a winch launch
A pilot was fatally injured when a Standard Cirrus over-banked in a turn shortly after a winch launch and spiralled into trees in Germany; the glider was destroyed. A witness video showed the launch as normal until the cable came off at about 120 m; the glider lowered its nose to regain speed, levelled off, then turned right. As the bank steepened it dropped over the right wing into a near-vertical spiral dive and struck trees and the ground. The facts-only summary found no technical defect and no medical impairment, and stated no cause. The glider was marginally above its maximum take-off mass, with the centre of gravity within limits.
- Winch launch, normal to ~120 m: A Standard Cirrus was winch-launching at Ottenberg; a witness video showed the climb as normal until the cable came off at about 120 m above the ground.
- Cable comes off low, near 120 m: About 120 m is low for a winch launch; after the cable came off the pilot lowered the nose to regain flying speed.
- Recovers to level flight: The glider was caught in a normal attitude and flew straight ahead for a few seconds.
- Right turn over-banks: It then turned right; after roughly 180° the right bank increased and the glider dropped over the right wing.
- Spiral dive into the trees: It fell in a near-vertical spiral about its longitudinal axis and struck trees and the ground within seconds; the pilot was killed and the glider destroyed.