Colisión en el aire entre Ka 6 y ASK 13 cerca de Bad Salzdetfurth resulta en fatalidad

El 26 de junio de 1999, ocurrió una colisión en el aire cerca de Bad Salzdetfurth, Alemania, que involucró a un Alexander Schleicher Ka 6 CR y un Alexander Schleicher ASK 13. Ambos planeadores estaban en vuelo térmico cuando perdieron de vista el uno al otro y colisionaron a aproximadamente 600 metros sobre el suelo. El Ka 6 CR entró en una caída en espiral y se estrelló, resultando en la muerte del piloto. El ASK 13 sufrió daños severos, pero el piloto estudiante logró saltar con éxito usando un paracaídas. La investigación no encontró fallas técnicas en las aeronaves.

1. Winch launch thermaling: After a winch launch, the KA6CR pilot conducted a thermaling flight north of the Steinberg-Wesseln glider site before moving toward better lift.
2. Converging thermals: Seeing the ASK 13 climbing well in a thermal south of the airfield, the KA6CR pilot flew over to the same updraft area and began circling beneath it in the same left-hand direction.
3. Circle path overlap: As both gliders continued left-hand circling in the same thermal, the KA6CR climbed more efficiently and adjusted its circling to try to climb above the ASK 13, causing their flight paths to converge at similar altitude.
4. Loss of mutual sight: Around 600 m above ground both pilots lost visual contact with each other, with the ASK 13 student assuming the KA6CR had left the thermal.
5. Wing-to-wing collision: The KA6CR approached from slightly above and left, its left wing striking the ASK 13’s right wing, severely damaging both gliders and breaking off about 2.5 m of the KA6CR’s left outer wing.
6. Bailout attempts: The ASK 13 student reported the collision by radio and successfully bailed out under parachute, while the KA6CR pilot also attempted a bailout but had insufficient height to deploy the parachute.
7. Crash - fatal: With its left wing partially missing, the KA6CR entered a spiraling dive and crashed into a garden near Bad Salzdetfurth, fatally injuring the pilot, while the unmanned ASK 13 crashed into a meadow.