ASK 13 collision with trees during approach at Butzbach airfield
On July 23, 2008, an Alexander Schleicher ASK 13 was involved in an accident at Butzbach airfield in Germany. The glider, on a training flight with two people aboard, collided with trees during the final approach. The aircraft was flying unusually low and slow, resulting in the right wing contacting the trees and the glider crashing almost vertically. The student pilot sustained serious injuries, while the instructor was lightly injured. The glider was destroyed in the impact.
- Circuit training flight: During a winch-launched training flight in the landing circuit, the ASK 13 was flown uneventfully up to the landing pattern.
- Height misjudged: During the landing pattern the available height was misjudged, resulting in an approach path that was too low over the area before the runway.
- Low, slow final: On final approach over the trees before runway 29, the glider was observed flying unusually low and at too low an airspeed.
- Right wing drop: With insufficient airspeed close to the trees, the glider banked to the right and the right wing contacted the treetops.
- Near-vertical descent: After the wing struck the trees, the glider pitched into a steep, almost vertical descent, being partially decelerated by further contact with branches.
- Crash - serious injury: The glider impacted the ground almost vertically in the adjacent forest, destroying the aircraft, seriously injuring the student, and slightly injuring the instructor.