Ka 6 stalls in a downwind outlanding turn
The pilot of a Ka 6 was seriously injured when the glider stalled turning onto a downwind outlanding; aircraft destroyed. On a local flight — his first on the type since the previous summer — the pilot lost lift over the Sonnenberg and decided a little late (~200 m) to land out. The field was large and obstacle-free, so that wasn't the problem; but he set up to land with a ~10 kt tailwind, and in the left turn the airspeed fell below the minimum. The glider stalled and struck the ground at ~60° bank. The cause was a stall below minimum speed in the landing turn; the downwind landing choice was the contributing tactical error.
- Winch launch, local flight: The pilot winch-launched the Ka 6 CR from Amlikon at about 13:00 for a local soaring flight; the flight path is largely unknown and the pilot recalled nothing of it.
- First on type since last summer: The pilot had not flown the Ka 6 since the previous August, though he had flown dual and a check on another type in the preceding weeks.
- Lost lift, decided to land out: Finding no more lift on the south side of the Sonnenberg, the pilot decided at about 200 m above the valley to make an off-field landing.
- Set up a downwind landing: Over a large, obstacle-free plain south of the Lauche stream, he overflew the field and turned in for a landing with an estimated 10 kt tailwind.
- Stall in the landing turn: In the left turn onto the approach the airspeed fell below the minimum flying speed and the glider stalled.
- Crash - serious injury: The glider struck the field at about 60° left bank ~1 km SE of Stettfurt; the pilot was seriously injured and the glider destroyed.