Discus-2CT low base-to-final turn; stall and ground impact

The pilot of a Discus-2CT was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when it stalled in a low base-to-final turn at Nabern/Teck. Returning from a local soaring flight, the pilot diverted to Nabern/Teck with the sustainer extended but not running and approached RWY 32 from the west, overflying the adjacent Dettingen field at ~60 m AGL. Witnesses saw the glider roll into a left turn to final at 20–30 m AGL with ~45° bank; it then tipped over the left wing and impacted a wheat field beside the runway at ~60° nose-down. The sustainer remained extended; a local thunderstorm shower was reported just west of the field at the time.

1. Aerotow start from Hahnweide: At 11:33 LT a Discus-2CT departed Hahnweide gliding site on aerotow for a local soaring flight. Pilot had ~242 h total experience (~95 h on type, 26 h in last 90 days).
2. Diverted to Nabern/Teck: After ~20 minutes the pilot deployed the sustainer (the aircraft is a Discus-2CT motorglider with retractable sustainer) and steered toward RWY 32 of the adjacent special airfield at Nabern/Teck (EDTN), approaching from the west on a heading of ~090°. The Dettingen gliding site was overflown at ~60 m AGL.
3. Sustainer extended, not running: GPS data and post-impact wreckage examination showed the sustainer was deployed but not in operation throughout the approach. The radio was tuned to the departure-field frequency; no contact with Nabern/Teck was established.
4. Local thunderstorm shower W of field: Forecast wind was S/SW 5–10 kt with locally gusty thunderstorm activity (10–20 kt, gusts to 25–40 kt). A witness reported a local thunderstorm shower west of Nabern/Teck at the time of the accident.
5. Left turn to final at 20-30 m AGL: Witnesses saw the glider roll into a left turn from base to final at about 20-30 m AGL with a bank angle of approximately 45°.
6. Wing drop over left; ~60° nose-down: The glider tipped over the left wing and assumed a pitch attitude of about 60° nose-down before impact. The motion is consistent with a stall with wing drop at low altitude with no margin to recover.
7. Impact in wheat field; pilot SI: The Discus-2CT struck a wheat field ~60 m north of RWY 32 and slid ~14 m to its final rest position. The fuselage broke in two places (aft of cockpit, ahead of empennage); the left outer wing tore off. The pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft destroyed. No fire. The investigation was closed as a facts-only report; no probable cause was attributed.