DG-600 enters unusual attitudes in cruise and dives high-speed into wooded slope
An experienced pilot (2,460 h, 1,700 h on type) flying his DG-600 over the Glarus Alps entered unusual attitudes ending in 60-90° left bank, then dived high-speed into a wooded slope at ~1,800 m MSL; aircraft destroyed, pilot fatal. Ground witnesses saw the high-speed descent shear treetops. The forward fuselage broke up, the canopy opened forward and the pilot was thrown out; he came to rest 50 m away and ~30 m higher. No technical defects. Autopsy found severe pre-existing cardiovascular disease; a disturbance of consciousness cannot be excluded.
- Alpine cruise on private XC: The pilot took off from Schänis, aerotowed to the Schiltgruppe, released, and tracked southeast over the Glarus Alps in good VFR weather.
- Unusual attitudes on high-speed heading: A second pilot 15 minutes behind saw the DG-600 on a constant high-speed heading enter unusual attitudes ending in a 60-90° left bank; radio calls went unanswered.
- High-speed dive shears treetops: Final phase ~45° down, constant heading, very high speed; sheared the tops of a few small trees before slope impact ~80 m from witnesses.
- Slope impact at 1,800 m AMSL: The forward fuselage was destroyed and the canopy opened forward on impact; the seat belts were torn from their anchors by impact forces, not unbuckled.
- Severe pre-existing heart disease: The autopsy found severe pre-existing cardiovascular disease that could have caused hypoxia and arrhythmia at any time; a disturbance of consciousness could not be excluded.
- Pilot ejected; parachute slips from pack: The pilot was catapulted from the cockpit on impact and struck a rock face 50 m away, fatally injured; no technical defects were found.