Ka 6 sinks into trees in a lee downdraft on a first outlanding
On his first-ever outlanding, a Ka 6 sank into trees on a ridge and was destroyed; the pilot was uninjured. Rusty after a nine-month layoff, his training all airfield circuits, the pilot lost height fast over the ridges in a gusty north-easterly and rightly chose to land out. But he picked a tight field high in a valley, leaving open ground 300 m lower unused. His conventional circuit crossed the wooded ridge low on base, into strong lee downdrafts; short of height, the left wing caught a fir and it fell onto the slope. Contributing: a poor field choice, minimal outlanding training, and unfavourable weather.
- Training flight: The pilot aerotowed from La Chaux-de-Fonds to 1700 m over Pouillerel and released; lift was moderate but disturbed by a strong wind.
- Rusty, no field-landing skill: After a nine-month layoff the pilot had never landed out; all his training had been airfield circuits (~98 h total, ~21 h on type).
- Rapid height loss at the ridge: Joining other gliders over the Tête de Ran ridges in the north-easterly, the glider lost height quickly and could not regain the airfield.
- Outlands to a tight hill field: The pilot rightly decided to land out, but chose a small field high in a valley rather than open ground 300 m lower.
- Lee downdrafts on base: His conventional circuit crossed a wooded ridge low on base, into a zone of strong lee-side downdrafts.
- Wing catches a fir: Without the height to clear the ridge, the left wing caught a fir tree.
- Crash on slope; uninjured: The glider fell onto the valley slope and was destroyed; the pilot was uninjured.