Un ASW 24 pierde el control tras toque del extremo de ala en cresta alpina
El piloto de un Alexander Schleicher ASW 24 falleció en un toque del extremo del ala contra la cara sur del Piz Mezzaun durante vuelo de ladera alpino; planeador destruido. En el tercer despegue al cabrestante desde Samedan, puso rumbo al este hacia la cara SSE soleada. Los restos aparecieron en la ladera SSW a ~2 870 m MSL. El ascendente de ladera se encontró con el viento del noroeste, probablemente generando cizalladura o convergencia con ascensos/descensos rápidos junto al terreno. El extremo del ala izquierda contactó primero; el piloto perdió el control e impactó de nariz. El ELT no se activó; quizá no se retiró el seguro de transporte.
- 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 the prevailing northwesterly flow, creating windshear 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.