Collision en vol entre Ka 6 et ASK 13 près de Bad Salzdetfurth entraîne un décès

Le 26 juin 1999, une collision en vol s'est produite près de Bad Salzdetfurth, Allemagne, impliquant un Alexander Schleicher Ka 6 CR et un Alexander Schleicher ASK 13. Les deux planeurs étaient en vol thermique lorsqu'ils ont perdu de vue l'un l'autre et sont entrés en collision à environ 600 mètres du sol. Le Ka 6 CR est entré en vrille et s'est écrasé, entraînant le décès du pilote. L'ASK 13 a subi de graves dommages, mais l'élève-pilote a réussi à s'éjecter avec un parachute. L'enquête n'a révélé aucun défaut technique sur les appareils.

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.