ASW 24 collision with terrain near Piz Mezzaun, Switzerland, resulting in fatality
On August 25, 1998, an Alexander Schleicher ASW 24 collided with terrain near Piz Mezzaun in La Punt-Chamues, Switzerland. The incident occurred during a private flight while the pilot was ridge soaring. The glider was destroyed upon impact, and the sole occupant, an experienced Swiss pilot, was fatally injured. Weather conditions included light wind and good visibility, but potential windshear or convergence may have contributed to the accident. The emergency locator transmitter did not activate upon impact.
- Winch launch ridge flight: The pilot departed Samedan on his third winch launch of the day for a local ridge-soaring flight after conditions had improved.
- Alpine ridge soaring: The pilot proceeded east of the airfield, likely following the Inn valley toward La Punt-Chamues-ch to use the sunlit south-southeast facing ridge of Piz Mezzaun for lift.
- Complex wind interaction: At ridge height, local upslope winds on the sunlit face likely interacted with a prevailing northwesterly flow, creating possible windshear or convergence and rapidly changing lift and sink near the terrain.
- Wing contacts terrain: While ridge soaring close to the slope, the glider’s left wingtip likely touched the terrain, as indicated by impact marks on the left wing.
- Loss of control: Following the wingtip strike, the pilot lost control of the glider, which entered a nose-down attitude with a right rotation toward the mountainside.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the south-southwest slope of Piz Mezzaun nose-first in a right turn, was destroyed, and the pilot sustained fatal injuries.