Cirrus stalls after over-steep climb on winch launch

The pilot of a Schempp-Hirth Cirrus was fatally injured after a winch launch at Bischofsberg; aircraft destroyed. After lift-off the glider entered a very steep climb, rolled right at low altitude and struck the ground nearly nose-vertical ~180 m from the launch point; flight time six seconds, peak altitude ~21 m. The pilot had five winch starts on type; a foam cushion served as backrest after a retrofit proved unsatisfactory. The winch was driven by a trainee handling the type for the first time, unsupervised. The probable cause was a stall in an over-steep climb-out; high initial acceleration and inadequate back support contributed.

1. Winch launch from RWY 26: The pilot took off in a Schempp-Hirth Cirrus from the 900 m grass RWY 26 at Bischofsberg. The winch operator had been asked to keep the initial pull gentle.
2. Trainee winch driver, no instructor: The winch was operated by a trainee with a training permit and 78 winch launches in 17 training days; this was the first time handling a Cirrus, and no instructor was present at the winch as the supervising procedure required.
3. Foam cushion as backrest: In place of a retrofitted backrest the pilot had found unsatisfactory after earlier winch launches on type, a loose foam cushion was used as back support in the seat pan.
4. Over-steep climb after lift-off: Witnesses described the initial acceleration as too fast and the transition into a full climb attitude as abrupt. The glider continued to steepen and began rolling right at low altitude.
5. Stall, roll right at low altitude: At low altitude the glider rotated right about the longitudinal and vertical axes from the steep climb attitude and dropped into a nearly vertical nose-down attitude. The flight recorder logged six seconds of flight and a peak altitude of ~21 m.
6. Pilot fatally injured; Cirrus destroyed: The Cirrus struck a ploughed field ~50 m right of RWY 26 and ~180 m from the launch point, hitting the ground nearly vertically with the nose and left wing first; the cockpit area broke up on impact and the pilot was fatally injured. The probable cause was a stall in an over-steep climb-out; high initial winch acceleration and inadequate back support from the loose cushion contributed.