Crash du Ventus b/16.6 lors de l'approche à Saanen entraînant un décès
Le 6 août 1986, un Schempp-Hirth Ventus b/16.6 s'est écrasé lors de l'approche à Saanen, Suisse. Le pilote, qui pilotait l'appareil pour la première fois, a signalé son intention d'atterrir peu avant l'incident. Des témoins ont observé le planeur dans un schéma de vol incontrôlé avant qu'il ne s'écrase, entraînant la mort du pilote et la destruction de l'appareil. L'enquête officielle a identifié le vol en dessous de la vitesse minimale de sécurité comme cause de l'accident. Les facteurs contributifs comprenaient une formation insuffisante et des problèmes médicaux possibles.
- Approach to Saanen: After about 3 hours 50 minutes of soaring following an aerotow departure, the pilot entered the waiting/approach area for landing at Saanen in the Ventus b/16.6.
- High drag configuration: In the approach/holding area the pilot fully extended both the flaps (Wölbklappen) and the dive brakes (Sturzflugbremsen), greatly increasing drag without an appropriate attitude or speed adjustment.
- Low recent training: The pilot had relatively low recent glider flight time, limited recent experience with flapped high-performance types, and this was his first flight on this demanding Ventus variant.
- Possible medical impairment: The pilot had significant coronary artery disease and cardiac changes, and after a long flight at altitude may have been suffering psycho-physical performance reduction or even a sudden incapacitating event.
- Inadequate speed control: With all drag devices deployed, the pilot did not lower the nose sufficiently to maintain at least minimum flying speed, allowing the glider’s speed to decay.
- Stall and wing drop: Witnesses observed the glider pitching up repeatedly, rocking its wings, then rolling off over the right wing into an over‑stalled, uncontrolled descent from about 100 m above ground near the church at Saanen.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the MOB railway area at Saanen, destroying the aircraft, fatally injuring the pilot, and damaging overhead lines and a railcar.