ASW 24B se estrella en un bosque cerca de Oerlinghausen durante la aproximación

El 27 de abril de 2000, un Alexander Schleicher ASW 24B se estrelló en un bosque cerca de Oerlinghausen durante su aproximación para aterrizar. El planeador regresaba de un vuelo térmico local cuando encontró fuertes vientos de cola y baja altitud. El piloto intentó un giro pronunciado a la derecha a baja velocidad, lo que provocó una pérdida de sustentación y el descenso entre los árboles. La aeronave fue destruida y el piloto sufrió heridas mortales. No se reportaron daños a terceros.

1. Winch launch thermaling: The pilot conducted a winch launch at 16:20 for a local thermic flight and later returned toward Oerlinghausen airfield to land.
2. Gusty crosswind present: During the approach the airfield had a gusty 12–22 kt crosswind from 90° to the landing direction of 40°, creating challenging wind conditions.
3. Wind misjudged: While planning the landing pattern the pilot misjudged the wind conditions at the airfield, not adequately accounting for the tailwind component on the downwind leg.
4. Low, tailwind downwind leg: At about 90 m height the pilot flew a shortened downwind/ base leg under tailwind conditions, allowing the glider to drift southwest over adjacent woodland.
5. Slow, steep right turn: In low height over the forest the pilot flew at conspicuously low airspeed and attempted a steep right turn toward final approach.
6. Stall and loss of control: During the steep turn the glider’s stall speed was exceeded, it rolled off to the side into an over‑stalled condition, and the low altitude left no room for recovery.
7. Crash - fatal: The glider descended into the trees about 400 m before the runway and 200 m before the airfield boundary, was destroyed, and the pilot later died from his injuries.