El Rhönlerche choca con un cable de torno aún en el aire en un circuito acortado

El piloto de un Rhönlerche II murió y un pasajero resultó gravemente herido cuando el planeador chocó con un cable de torno aún en el aire durante una jornada pública de vuelos; quedó destruido. Dos planeadores despegaron en rápida sucesión desde un torno de doble tambor, el primero aún en su circuito cuando el segundo despegó con el otro cable. En lugar del circuito prescrito que alejaba del torno, el piloto lo acortó y cruzó por delante del torno mientras el segundo cable descendía bajo su paracaídas; el cable enganchó el ala derecha y le seccionó la parte exterior hacia los 35 m. Sin control, el planeador cayó casi en vertical desde ~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.