ASH 26 E crash near Bad Liebenzell after pilot suffers heart attack

On August 17, 2002, an Alexander Schleicher ASH 26 E crashed near Bad Liebenzell, Germany. The glider was performing aerobatic maneuvers when it collided with trees and descended into a forested area. The pilot was found unresponsive in the cockpit and could not be revived. An autopsy revealed the pilot suffered a heart attack shortly before the crash. The glider was destroyed, with minor damage to the surrounding vegetation. No technical faults were found with the aircraft.

1. Aerotow departure: The ASH 26 E self-launching glider departed Malmsheim at about 12:30 local time in an aerotow behind a motor glider.
2. Pilot heart attack: Around the time of the accident the pilot suffered an acute, medically caused heart attack, leading to incapacitation.
3. Uncontrolled descent: While performing aerobatic loopings near Bad Liebenzell-Unterhaugstett, the glider descended out of control and flew into the tops of trees.
4. Crash - fatal: At about 12:55 the glider struck a fir treetop at about 30 m height, then impacted almost vertically into mixed woodland, destroying the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.