Colisión del Ka 8 B con árboles durante vuelo de entrenamiento en Veysonnaz

El 25 de julio de 1992, se realizó un vuelo de entrenamiento en solitario con un Alexander Schleicher K 8 B en Veysonnaz, Suiza. El piloto estudiante, después de una sesión exitosa de control dual, intentó un vuelo de ladera. Al maniobrar para evitar parapentes, el planeador encontró una ráfaga fuerte, lo que lo hizo incontrolable y colisionó con árboles. El piloto resultó ileso, pero el planeador sufrió daños significativos. El informe oficial confirmó que el accidente se debió a una velocidad insuficiente durante un giro.

1. Ridge soaring flight: After an earlier dual instructional ridge-soaring flight, the student pilot launched by aerotow from Sion for a solo ridge-soaring gain-of-height flight in the Ka-8b.
2. Avoiding paragliders: While soaring near Veysonnaz, the pilot observed several paragliders and moved away from their area toward the forested slope where the lift was weaker.
3. Low airspeed near slope: During straight flight on about the fifth pass parallel to the slope, the glider was already flying at too low an airspeed, reducing control margin close to terrain.
4. Gust upsets glider: A strong gust suddenly lifted the right wing during straight flight along the slope, abruptly upsetting the glider's attitude.
5. Ineffective control inputs: The pilot applied full right aileron, full forward stick, and full right rudder but the glider continued to sink and remained difficult to control.
6. Low, slow turn into slope: The pilot then reversed to left stick and turned toward the slope to execute a 180° turn, during which the airspeed decreased further before he attempted to pitch up to clear the treetops.
7. Crash - no injury: The very slow glider struck the tops of the trees, was abruptly stopped and then tipped forward to hang vertically between trees, heavily damaging the aircraft while the pilot remained uninjured.