Crash d'un Grob G 109 B près de Kirchzarten entraîne deux décès

Le 17 juin 2000, un planeur motorisé Grob G 109 B s'est écrasé dans une zone boisée près de Kirchzarten, en Allemagne. L'appareil, transportant deux personnes, avait décollé de Schweighofen et se dirigeait vers Constance lorsqu'il a rencontré des difficultés. Des témoins ont rapporté avoir entendu le bruit du moteur suivi d'un crash. Les deux occupants ont été mortellement blessés et l'appareil a été détruit. L'enquête n'a révélé aucune défaillance technique de l'appareil, et les conditions météorologiques étaient favorables au vol à vue.

1. En-route cruise: The self-launched motor glider departed Schweighofen, made an intermediate landing at Freiburg, then departed again toward Konstanz and was cruising into the Black Forest area.
2. Unfamiliar mountainous area: The pilot, with low total and type experience, was flying his first flight in the mountainous Black Forest region, whose terrain characteristics were unfamiliar to him.
3. Insufficient climb performance use: Although the aircraft was capable of climbing sufficiently to clear the terrain, the pilot did not achieve or maintain enough height over the rising ground along the chosen route.
4. Terrain misjudged: Approaching the end of a steep valley, the pilot misjudged distance, height, and speed relative to the rapidly rising terrain and continued toward a ridge that could no longer be safely overflown.
5. Late pull-up attempt: Instead of turning back in time, the pilot attempted to outclimb the terrain by pulling back on the control stick while already too low over the steeply rising ground.
6. Stall and right roll: The excessive pitch-up caused the airspeed to drop below stall speed, the motor glider stalled, rolled off to the right, and descended uncontrollably into the forested slope.
7. Crash - fatal: The aircraft impacted the forested terrain about 700–800 m before and roughly 100 m below the ridge crest, was destroyed, and both occupants were fatally injured.