LS-6B perte de contrôle après incapacité du pilote
Le 20 mars 2002, le pilote d'un Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B a perdu la vie dans un accident à Quinto, en Suisse. Le pilote, un citoyen suisse né en 1946, a perdu le contrôle du planeur probablement en raison d'une perte de conscience causée par une nutrition inadéquate et une déshydratation. Le planeur a percuté des arbres, entraînant la destruction de l'appareil et des blessures mortelles pour le pilote. Les conditions météorologiques difficiles et le manque de formation de vol récente du pilote ont été des facteurs contributifs.
- Winch launch climb: The pilot winch-launched from Ambri RWY 28 and climbed to about 550 m above the airfield before proceeding to soar along the northern ridge.
- Poor recent currency: In the eight and a half months before the accident the pilot had flown only a single 19‑minute check flight, despite having reported much higher recent experience.
- Inadequate hydration/nutrition: The pilot was in a state of fasting and advanced dehydration, with a completely empty stomach, minimal ketone-positive urine, and unopened food and drink found in the cockpit.
- Turbulent northerly winds: The flight took place in strong, turbulent northerly winds in a demanding mountain soaring environment, increasing pilot workload and control demands.
- Pilot loses consciousness: While soaring along the ridge after climbing to about 2,000 m AMSL, the pilot likely experienced impaired consciousness or brief loss of consciousness due to dehydration and inadequate nutrition.
- Loss of control: With the pilot’s consciousness impaired, control of the glider was lost and the aircraft entered a steep, uncontrolled descent toward the terrain.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted a forested slope at an estimated 70–80° nose-down attitude, destroying the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.