ASW 28-18 E wing drop at 150 m thermalling in gusty wind

On 25 March 2007 the pilot of an ASW 28-18 E died near a forest lake SW of Oerlinghausen; the aircraft was destroyed. After a winch launch at 13:58 LT to ~400 m AGL the engine was retracted and the glider flew SW, then E for lift. At ~200 m AGL the pilot started right-hand circling in a thermal; after one full circle the glider had lost ~50 m. Circling continued, and during the second circle at ~150 m the glider rolled off over the right wing and impacted at a steep nose-down angle. Strong gusty east wind (18 kt, gusts to 34 kt) prevailed. Recent currency was low: 35 minutes flown in the last 30 days.

1. Winch launch + glide SW then E: At 13:58 LT the ASW 28-18 E launches on the winch from Oerlinghausen to about 400 m AGL. The pilot retracts the engine and flies in glide toward the south-west; at the airfield boundary the heading is changed to the east to find lift.
2. Low recent currency: The pilot has held a glider licence since 1979 with an instructor rating and more than 1,500 flight hours; about 48 of those are on the ASW 28-18 E. In the last 30 days only two flights have been logged, totalling about 35 minutes.
3. Strong gusty east wind: Weather is visual with an almost cloudless sky. Ground wind is from about 080° at 18 kt with gusts to 34 kt. On-board recordings give an in-flight wind of about 42 km/h from 094°. Strong gusts and turbulence are expected in the lower altitudes.
4. Right-hand circling at ~200 m: At about 200 m above the ground the pilot tries to use a thermal and starts right-hand circling — a very low altitude for manoeuvring flight in the prevailing gusty conditions.
5. 50 m loss on first circle, continued: After one full circle the glider has lost about 50 m of height. The pilot continues circling rather than levelling off to set up a landing back on the airfield.
6. Wing drop over right at ~150 m: During the second circle, at about 150 m above the ground, the glider rolls off over the right wing and transitions into a steep nose-down attitude.
7. Steep nose-down impact at forest lake: The glider impacts the ground at the edge of a small forest lake about 500 m south-west of the launch point with a high nose-down pitch. The cockpit is destroyed, both wings break at the root and the tail boom breaks at the registration. No fire. Examination finds no technical defects. The aircraft is destroyed and the pilot is fatally injured.