DG-808 thermals below 100 m AGL, falls vertically on mountain slope

On May 9, 2008, the 62-year-old pilot of a DG-808 C was fatally injured when the aircraft fell almost vertically into a snow-covered slope at ~1,400 m AMSL ~4 km W of Kreuth, 6 km SW of Rottach-Egern. The 62-year-old pilot (3,900 h, 125 h on type, 53 h in 7 days) had aerotowed from Unterwössen at 09:22, climbed under engine to 2,850 m over Nußdorf am Inn by 09:38 and retracted the engine. Heading W then S past Waakirchen, the glider descended through weak thermals. By 10:08 it was at the Raueckalm at ~170 m AGL; at 10:10 still searching for a thermal below 100 m AGL. At 10:13 it fell almost vertically into the slope.

1. Aerotow then climb to 2,850 m: DG-808 C (Glaser-Dirks build, registered Feb 2008, ~126 h total) on a cross-country day from Unterwössen. Pilot 62 yo, SPL since 1993, ~3,900 h glider total, 125 h on type; in the preceding 7 days had flown six cross-country flights totalling 53 h and >3,800 km. VMC, near-cloudless sky, wind ~150° at 8-10 kt. Aerotow launched 09:22 local; released ~3 min later at 340 m AGL near Landerhausen. The pilot then deployed the engine and continued west under power, reaching 2,850 m AGL over Nußdorf am Inn at 09:38 with continuous climb.
2. Cross-country glide W and S: GPS records: at 2,850 m the pilot retracted the engine and continued as pure sailplane. Track ran west past Bad Feilnbach to Oberwarngau. At 10:00 the pilot turned south; route ran east of Waakirchen toward Wachselmoos-Alm.
3. Weak thermals, steady height loss: Through the southbound leg the glider lost height continuously. Wachselmoos-Alm was passed at 10:05 at ~530 m AGL; three minutes later the glider reached the Raueckalm terrain at ~170 m AGL — having dropped from 530 m to 170 m AGL in just 3 minutes of glide.
4. Reached Raueckalm at ~170 m AGL: By ~10:08 the glider was at the Raueckalm terrain at only ~170 m above ground in mountainous country. The pilot attempted to use the weak thermals there but height continued to decrease.
5. Thermalling attempt below 100 m AGL: By around 10:10 the pilot was searching for a thermal connection below 100 m above ground, over a steep snow-covered slope.
6. Near-vertical impact on snow slope: At 10:13 the glider fell almost vertically into the snow-covered mountainside at ~1,400 m AMSL (the mountain range there sits at 1,400-1,500 m), ~4 km W of Kreuth, ~6 km SW of Rottach-Egern. Cockpit smashed on impact; rear fuselage twisted behind the wing root. Aircraft destroyed; pilot fatally injured. Wreckage examination found no indication of technical defects. The BFU completed the investigation as a facts-only summary report under §18 FlUUG; no analysis or conclusions.