Rhönlerche flies into an airborne winch cable on a shortened landing circuit

The pilot of a Rhönlerche II was fatally injured and a passenger seriously hurt when the glider flew into an airborne winch cable at a public flying day; it was destroyed. Two gliders were winch-launched in quick succession from a twin-drum winch, the first still in its circuit when the second launched on the other cable. Instead of the prescribed pattern away from the winch, the pilot flew a shortened circuit across the winch area while the second cable was still sinking under its parachute; the cable caught the right wing and sawed off its outer section at ~35 m. The pilot lost control and the glider fell nearly vertically from ~30 m.

1. Winch launch flights: During an airshow at Allmend Brunau, the Rhönlerche II HB-571 conducted a winch launch as the first of two closely spaced passenger flights using a double-drum winch.
2. Second cable still airborne: After HB-571 released its first cable and while still in the circuit, the second glider was launched on the other winch cable, which was still being reeled in.
3. Abbreviated landing circuit: Before the second cable was fully retrieved, the pilot began an abbreviated landing circuit that crossed the winch area instead of following the prescribed pattern.
4. Right wing hits cable: While flying crosswise in front of the winch, the right wing struck the still-descending second cable, which sawed through the outer wing at about 35 m height.
5. Loss of control and fall: The collision with the cable caused an immediate loss of control, and the glider entered an uncontrolled right-rolling descent from approximately 30 m, impacting nearly nose-first.
6. Crash - fatal: The glider was destroyed in the vertical impact, the pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries.