Crash du DG-100 à Geschinen après un virage serré entraîne un décès

Le 16 juillet 1988, un DG Flugzeugbau DG-100 ELAN s'est écrasé près de Geschinen, en Suisse. Le planeur a été observé effectuant un virage à droite serré avant de descendre rapidement et de percuter une pente raide près des barrières d'avalanche. Le pilote a été mortellement blessé et l'appareil a été détruit. L'enquête a conclu que l'accident était probablement dû au dépassement de la vitesse minimale de décrochage de l'appareil à basse altitude. Aucune autre blessure ou dommage n'a été signalé.

1. Local soaring flight: After an aerotow launch from Münster and release near the Galmihornhütte, the pilot conducted a local soaring flight in the Galmihornhütte–Münster–Geschinen area.
2. Steep right turn: While flying up-valley toward the Furka near Geschinergalen, the glider entered a very steep right-hand turn at low height above the steep slope.
3. Low airspeed margin: The steep turn was flown at a low altitude over rising terrain, leaving little margin above the minimum safe flying speed and increasing stall risk.
4. Limited recency on type: The pilot had relatively low and infrequent experience on the DG-100 ELAN over several years, which may have reduced his familiarity with its handling near stall.
5. Inadequate stall avoidance: During or immediately after the steep right turn, the pilot did not maintain sufficient airspeed or bank control to prevent the aircraft from stalling.
6. Nose drop and dive: Following the steep turn, the glider abruptly pitched forward into a near-vertical dive toward the slope, with only about one second of descent before impact.
7. Crash - fatal: The glider impacted a steep slope near avalanche barriers at Geschinergalen and was destroyed, fatally injuring the pilot.