Crash du LS 3-17 sur le Wildstrubel entraîne la mort du pilote
Le 19 juillet 1989, un Rolladen-Schneider LS 3-17 a décollé de l'aérodrome de Zweisimmen pour un vol d'entraînement local. Le pilote a signalé sa position près du Wildstrubel à 3200 mètres vers 17h00. Lorsque le planeur n'est pas revenu, une recherche a été lancée, et l'épave a été retrouvée le lendemain sur le flanc nord-ouest du Wildstrubel. Le pilote a été mortellement blessé et l'appareil a été détruit. L'enquête a conclu à une perte de contrôle pour des raisons inconnues.
- Aerotow mountain soaring: The pilot aerotowed from Zweisimmen at 14:47 and proceeded to soar in the Lenk–Wildstrubel mountain area, later reporting position at 3200 m near Wildstrubel around 17:00.
- Flight near cloudbase: The glider was operating close to the local cloudbase around 3200–3300 m, reducing vertical clearance from terrain near the Wildstrubel ridge.
- Unfastened harness: The pilot’s seat harness was not latched in the central buckle at the time of the accident, indicating he was not properly strapped in.
- Use of video camera: The pilot carried a video camera and injuries were compatible with contact with the viewfinder, suggesting he may have been filming and visually distracted from aircraft control and terrain clearance.
- Loss of control in flight: For undetermined reasons, the pilot lost effective control of the glider while flying near the Wildstrubel at high altitude close to terrain.
- Wingtip strikes terrain: While flying on an easterly track, the right wingtip impacted a rock face on the northwest flank of the Wildstrubel, indicating insufficient terrain clearance.
- Crash - fatal: Following the wingtip impact, the glider broke up and the wreckage fell about 300 m down the northwest flank of the Wildstrubel, destroying the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.