Discus bT stalls over school — engine unused

The pilot of a Discus bT was killed when the glider overstalled a low circle and dived onto a school roof at Ludwigshafen-Edigheim; aircraft destroyed. After a long competition cross-country, the glider reached the area at low altitude, and witnesses saw it begin circling right over the school centre at less than 150 m AGL. After one or two circles the nose dropped suddenly — an overstalled circle from too low to recover; the glider struck the flat roof nearly vertically and penetrated a classroom. The retractable engine was found stowed, never deployed despite weakening thermals.

1. Cruise near finish: After more than five hours of cross-country competition flying, the glider was cruising at low altitude near the western edge of Ludwigshafen-Edigheim on the way back to Ludwigshafen-Dannstadt.
2. Weak late thermals: By the late afternoon the thermal conditions had weakened, making it difficult for the pilot to regain altitude despite otherwise good visual weather.
3. Low altitude over town: The glider arrived over the built-up area near the school at less than about 150 m above ground, leaving little height margin for maneuvering or recovery.
4. Engine not used: Although the glider was equipped with a retractable engine, the pilot chose not to deploy it as thermals weakened and instead continued gliding at low height.
5. Low-level thermalling attempt: The pilot began circling to the right in one or two tight turns over the school building in an apparent attempt to exploit weak lift at very low altitude.
6. Stall in turning flight: During the right-hand circling, the glider entered an over‑stalled flight condition and the nose suddenly dropped into a very steep nose-down attitude.
7. Crash - fatal: In the ensuing near-vertical descent the glider penetrated the flat roof of the school building and was destroyed, fatally injuring the pilot and damaging the structure.