LS 4 fatal stall during outlanding near Oberdigisheim
On April 25, 2004, a Rolladen-Schneider LS 4 experienced a fatal accident near Oberdigisheim, Germany. The pilot, who had approximately 216 hours of flight experience, attempted an outlanding after nearly an hour of flight. Witnesses observed the aircraft stall and enter a spin at low altitude, leading to a near-vertical impact. The pilot was fatally injured, and the glider was destroyed. The report confirmed the stall occurred due to insufficient airspeed during the landing approach.
- Cross-country flight: The LS 4 launched by aerotow from Kirchheim/Teck-Hahnweide for a cross-country soaring flight and proceeded uneventfully for nearly an hour.
- Lee-side approach path: During preparation for an outlanding near Oberdigisheim, the glider’s approach path ran behind a westward-sloping hillside, placing it in pronounced lee with expected wind shear and increased sink.
- Low-speed approach: While setting up the approach to the selected outlanding field, the glider was flown with insufficient airspeed for the conditions.
- Stall in low turn: At about 50 m above ground in a turn toward the outlanding field, the glider exceeded its critical angle of attack, stalled, and entered a spin.
- Spin unrecoverable: Because of the very low altitude, there was not enough height available to successfully recover from the spin before ground impact.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the ground in a steep, nearly vertical attitude on a westward-sloping hillside near Oberdigisheim, fatally injuring the pilot and destroying the aircraft.