El DG 300 se pasa en una toma a favor del viento y golpea obstáculos
Un piloto de DG 300 Elan resultó levemente herido y el planeador gravemente dañado en un aterrizaje en campo a favor del viento cerca de Andermatt. Tras abandonar un vuelo de 500 km, el piloto eligió un campo homologado abordable solo hacia el suroeste — con viento del noreste, o sea a favor. Demasiado alto pese a aerofrenos plenos y un deslizamiento, y ante obstáculos al final del campo, interrumpió el deslizamiento y tiró hacia el prado más allá; el ala derecha golpeó una pila de mallazo y una excavadora, girando el planeador 90°. Un campo a 500 m al norte era abordable contra el viento. Causa: aproximación fallida, viento poco considerado.
- Cross-country cruise: The pilot departed Zweisimmen by aerotow for a 500 km cross-country flight and was returning after abandoning the task due to poor thermals.
- Forced outlanding need: Near Andermatt, deteriorated thermal conditions forced the pilot to plan an outlanding instead of continuing the flight.
- Tailwind landing field: The pilot selected a designated outlanding field along the Gotthard road that, under the prevailing NE wind, could only be approached with a tailwind, not fully weighed at the time.
- High tailwind approach: After flying a circuit, the pilot conducted the final approach to the SW with a tailwind, using full airbrakes and a sideslip in an attempt to lose height.
- Aborted glide over obstacles: Unable to reduce altitude enough to clear obstacles at the end of the field, the pilot ended the sideslip, retracted the airbrakes, and pulled up to try to land in a meadow beyond them.
- Wing strikes obstacles: During this maneuver the right wing struck a stack of reinforcing mesh and an excavator, causing the glider to yaw about 90 degrees and come to rest in the adjacent meadow.
- Crash - minor injury: The glider stopped in the meadow with substantial damage, and the pilot sustained minor injuries.