Collision entre un DG 100 et un Tornado près de Hundseck entraîne un décès

Le 23 juin 1998, une collision en vol s'est produite près de Hundseck, en Allemagne, impliquant un planeur Glaser Dirks DG 100 et un avion de chasse Panavia MRCA Tornado. L'incident a entraîné la destruction du planeur et la mort de son pilote. Le Tornado a subi de graves dommages mais a pu atterrir en toute sécurité à la base aérienne de Ramstein, son équipage étant indemne. La collision s'est produite alors que les deux appareils volaient dans un espace aérien où les vols militaires et civils étaient autorisés. L'enquête a révélé que l'équipage du Tornado n'a vu le planeur que trop tard pour éviter la collision.

1. Local soaring flight: The DG 100G launched from Baden-Baden/Oos at 1326 for a private local soaring flight with other gliders and proceeded to cruise in the local area.
2. Shared mixed airspace: Both the glider and the Tornado were operating under VFR in lower-level Class E airspace where slow civilian gliders and fast military jets are permitted simultaneously.
3. High-speed Tornado approach: The Tornado crew conducted a low-level tactical training flight following terrain and visual landmarks, entering the Bühlertal area at high speed while searching ahead for the next landmark.
4. Late glider detection: The Tornado crew only noticed the glider directly ahead of them immediately before impact, leaving no time or space to avoid a collision.
5. Tail and wing destroyed: The Tornado struck the DG 100G from behind, first destroying its tailplane and then its left wing, causing an immediate loss of controllability for the glider.
6. Uncontrolled vertical descent: With its empennage and a wing destroyed, the glider entered an almost vertical, uncontrolled descent toward the ground.
7. Crash - fatal: The DG 100G impacted nearly vertically in a forested area near Hundseck and was destroyed, fatally injuring the glider pilot.