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 about 20 minutes the pilot deployed the retractable sustainer and steered toward RWY 32 at the adjacent Nabern/Teck airfield, overflying the Dettingen gliding site at about 60 m AGL.
3. Sustainer extended, not running: The sustainer remained deployed but was not running throughout the approach, and the radio stayed tuned to the departure field's frequency with no contact established with Nabern/Teck.
4. Local thunderstorm shower W of field: A witness reported a local thunderstorm shower west of Nabern/Teck, with gusty wind in the area, 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, consistent with a stall and wing drop at low altitude with no margin to recover.
7. Impact in wheat field; pilot SI: The Discus-2CT struck a wheat field north of RWY 32, the fuselage breaking in two places and the left outer wing tearing off; the pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft destroyed.