Accidente de ASH 25 durante aterrizaje de competición cerca de Tomintoul, Escocia
El 2 de septiembre de 2007, un ASH 25 se estrelló cerca de Tomintoul, Escocia, durante una competición de vuelo a vela. El piloto intentó aterrizar en un campo, pero se dio cuenta de que el planeador estaba demasiado alto y realizó un giro para perder altitud. Durante la maniobra, el planeador entró en pérdida y se estrelló, resultando en una fatalidad y una herida grave. El planeador fue destruido en el incidente. Las condiciones meteorológicas incluían turbulencias, lo que pudo haber contribuido a la dificultad en el aterrizaje.
- Cross-country task: During a competition cross-country flight after aerotow, the ASH 25 was returning from Grantown-on-Spey toward the Tomintoul area with insufficient height to continue back to Aboyne.
- Turbulent windy conditions: The approach area was affected by strong, gusty north-westerly winds and marked turbulence associated with local terrain and unstable air mass.
- Low height near circuit: The pilots decided they were unlikely to gain enough height to return to Aboyne and committed to an outlanding near Tomintoul from relatively low altitude.
- Too high on final: On final approach to the selected field east of Tomintoul, the pilot realised the glider was still too high and would overshoot toward houses beyond the field.
- Height-loss maneuvers: To lose excess height the pilot used airbrakes, selected landing flap, side-slipped, and then retracted airbrakes and reduced flap before initiating a right orbit close to the ground.
- Loss of control in turn: During the low-level right turn in turbulent conditions, at some point below about 230 ft agl, the glider departed controlled flight and entered a near-vertical dive.
- Crash - fatal: The glider did not recover from the dive and impacted marshy ground east of Tomintoul, destroying the aircraft, fatally injuring the front-seat pilot and seriously injuring the rear-seat pilot.