Mid-air at Melle: Discus bT vs Tecnam P92; glider pilot bails

Mid-air collision over Melle between a Discus bT descending to land and a Tecnam P92 Echo microlight departing on a cross-country; the glider pilot bailed out by parachute and was lightly injured, both aircraft substantially damaged. The microlight returned to Melle and landed safely. The glider was descending through ~340 m AGL toward the northern circuit and rolled into a left turn while the microlight was climbing north-east out of RWY 27 at 110–120 km/h. The wings contacted left-to-left; the glider's left wing broke. The microlight's aileron stiffened but other controls remained functional. Neither pilot saw the other before impact.

1. Discus bT descending to circuit: A Discus bT, soaring since a winch launch from RWY 27 at Melle-Grönegau, began descending toward the field from ~13:45 and turned east into the circuit at about 340 m AGL.
2. P92 climbing out of RWY 27: A Tecnam P92 Echo microlight took off from RWY 27 at Melle-Grönegau at 13:50 with two on board and, after climb-out, turned right onto a north-easterly climbing track at 3-4 m/s.
3. Neither pilot saw the other: Neither pilot saw the other aircraft before impact; the glider pilot sighted the microlight only just before the collision, the microlight pilot saw the deployed parachute only after.
4. Left-to-left wing contact at ~340 m AGL: At about 13:52 the glider was rolling into a left turn when its left wing contacted the left wing of the climbing microlight. The glider's left wing broke near the point of contact.
5. Glider pilot bails; P92 returns to land: The glider pilot opened the canopy and bailed out under an automatic parachute, landing in a garden plot; the microlight pilot returned to Melle for a precautionary landing.
6. Glider in trees; both damaged: After the collision the glider rotated into trees with substantial damage; the microlight landed without incident, its occupants uninjured, the glider pilot lightly injured.