El Puchacz sale de una barrena justo sobre el suelo en entrenamiento y vuelve a la pérdida

Los dos ocupantes de un SZD-50-3 Puchacz murieron y el planeador quedó destruido al estrellarse en barrena en un vuelo de entrenamiento. Tras una primera barrena de siete u ocho vueltas se recuperó justo sobre el suelo, pero al franquear un terraplén a ~10 m volvió a bajar de la velocidad mínima, cayó sobre el ala izquierda y golpeó el suelo casi en vertical. Por qué entró en barrena no pudo establecerse; la recuperación fue muy tardía; el mando izquierdo del compensador estaba probablemente suelto, y ambos pilotos tenían el pedal derecho a fondo contra el giro a la izquierda. Factor inmediato: muy poca velocidad cerca del suelo.

1. Aerotow for a training flight: An SZD-50-3 Puchacz with an instructor and student aboard was aerotowed from Schaffhausen for a training flight and released at about 900 m over Siblingen.
2. Developed spin, 7-8 turns: The flight path after release is unknown; about 18 minutes later witnesses saw the glider in a spin, making seven or eight rotations. Why it entered the spin could not be established.
3. Left trim control probably loose: The only anomaly found on the wreck was the left trim-tab control, apparently loose or maladjusted before the accident; a wrong trim setting could not be ruled out.
4. Very late recovery near the ground: The spin stopped only after several turns, just above the ground — an unusually late recovery. Both pilots were found with right rudder pushed fully against the rotation.
5. Second stall over the embankment: Forced to clear a railway embankment at about 10 m AGL, the glider again dropped below the minimum flying speed and rolled off over the left wing.
6. Near-vertical impact, both killed: The glider struck the ground almost vertically at very low forward speed in a left bank. The student died at impact, the instructor the same day; the accident was not survivable.