El Mosquito entra en pérdida cerca de una cresta con fuerte turbulencia del noreste
El piloto de un Mosquito murió al entrar el planeador en pérdida cerca de una cresta en fuerte turbulencia y caer en el bosque en Gruyères; planeador destruido. En su primer vuelo de la temporada volaba en los Prealpes de Friburgo con nordeste racheado. El viento se canalizaba y cizallaba en el valle, con fuertes movimientos verticales. Cerca de la cresta hacia los 1600 m MSL — apenas 100 m sobre los árboles — probablemente entró en pérdida por una ráfaga, demasiado bajo para recuperarse antes de la ladera. Causas probables: una entrada en pérdida a altura insuficiente, fuertes turbulencias locales en terreno montañoso y un posible malestar.
- Aerotow local flight: The pilot departed Gruyères at 14:21 on an aerotow for his first local training flight of the season in his Mosquito glider.
- Mountain turbulence area: The flight took place in a steep, complex pre‑Alpine valley with strong bise-induced turbulence and significant vertical air accelerations reported by other pilots and the rescue helicopter.
- Low height near ridge: Shortly before the accident the glider was flying near ridge height around 1600 m MSL, leaving only about 100 m above the treetops, insufficient margin to recover from a stall.
- Sudden stall event: In the turbulent valley flow, the glider most likely entered an uncommanded stall, probably induced by a vertical gust and possibly compounded by pilot malaise.
- Unrecovered nose drop: With inadequate height to complete a recovery, the stalled glider transitioned into a near-vertical descent without returning to normal flight.
- Crash - fatal: Around 16:20 the glider impacted a steep, wooded west slope of the Dent du Chamois in a near-vertical attitude, destroying the aircraft and killing the pilot instantly.