El Grob Twin II choca contra un árbol en vuelo rasante tras abortar el aterrizaje en campo
En el primer vuelo alpino del piloto, un Grob Twin II chocó contra un árbol a ~25 m del suelo, se estrelló en una carretera y quedó destruido; el piloto delantero resultó gravemente herido, un peatón levemente. Soltado en las descendencias de viento del SW, no encontró ascendencias y perdió altura. El regreso llegó tarde, y las descendencias sobre Losone lo bajaron a 400 m, fuera de alcance. Preparó un aterrizaje, lo abandonó a 80 m y siguió al ras de las casas. Con licencia de tres semanas antes, sin horas en el tipo ni experiencia alpina o local, se le reprochó el regreso tardío, el abandono del aterrizaje y una preparación insuficiente.
- Local aerotow flight: The Grob was aerotowed from Ascona for a local soaring flight with two pilots aboard and released at 1100-1200 m at the entrance of the Centovalli.
- Green handling pilot: The front, handling pilot had been licensed three weeks earlier with 65 h total and no time on type, on his first flight in the region and on the type, and was restricted to local flights.
- No lift in SW-wind sink: Released into a south-westerly downdraught area, the glider found no lift over two figure-eights or across the Centovalli and steadily lost height.
- Dumped to 400 m over Losone: Turning back toward Ascona late, the glider met a downdraught zone over Losone that abruptly brought it to about 400 m, too low to reach the airfield.
- Abandons the outlanding: The pilot set up a precautionary landing in a field but at about 80 m above ground abandoned it and pressed on toward Ascona at low level over a built-up area.
- Low-level over houses: About 800 m short of runway 17 and only ~25 m above ground, the glider was skimming a densely populated area.
- Tree strike, crash - serious injury: The right wing struck tree branches, the glider rotated 180° and crashed onto a road; it was destroyed, the front pilot seriously injured, a pedestrian slightly hurt, and a car and building damaged.