LS 7 WL drops a wing after thermalling circle reversal; mountain impact

The pilot of an LS 7 WL was fatally injured when the glider dropped a wing during a thermalling circle reversal and struck a steep rock face on the Rossstein; aircraft destroyed. After an aerotow from Koenigsdorf and release at ~2126 m MSL near Bad Toelz, two thermal attempts en route brought no climb and the glider reached the Rossstein at ~1800 m MSL. Left-hand circles in weak lift were set up; after a circle reversal the glider tipped over a wing and struck rocky terrain at ~1500 m in a strongly nose-down attitude. Recent currency was low (5 launches and 1 h 29 min in the previous 90 days); the investigation was closed as facts-only.

1. Aerotow from Koenigsdorf: An LS 7 WL departed Koenigsdorf on aerotow for a thermalling flight in the Bavarian Pre-Alps.
2. Release at ~2126 m MSL near Bad Toelz: After about 10 minutes the glider released from tow at ~2126 m MSL above the Badria near Bad Toelz and headed toward the Kreuther Tal.
3. Two thermal attempts unsuccessful: The pilot tried twice to climb in thermals on the way south but did not gain height, arriving at the Rossstein at ~1800 m MSL — only ~300 m above the crash-site elevation.
4. Weak lift at Rossstein: Weather was VMC with light winds from ~130 degrees at ~5 kt. Lift in the working area was weak.
5. Left circling in weak thermal: The pilot set up left-hand circles in the weak thermal at low height above the Rossstein ridge.
6. Wing drop after circle reversal: After reversing the circle direction the glider tipped over a wing and departed controlled flight at a height with no recovery margin above the rock face.
7. Strongly nose-down attitude: The glider assumed a strongly nose-down longitudinal attitude on the descent to the rock face.
8. Rock-face impact; pilot fatally injured: The glider struck a steep rock slope at ~1,500 m on the Rossstein; the cockpit was destroyed and the fuselage broke aft of the wing root, and the pilot was fatally injured.