Colisión de un LS-1C con una pared rocosa cerca del Fletschhorn, Suiza

El 9 de agosto de 1985, un planeador LS-1C colisionó con una pared rocosa en el flanco oeste del macizo del Fletschhorn en Suiza. El piloto, que había despegado del aeródromo de Münster para un vuelo de 460 km, resultó fatalmente herido en el accidente. El planeador fue destruido al impactar a una altitud de 3350 metros. La investigación señaló las condiciones médicas preexistentes del piloto, incluidas la arteriosclerosis y problemas pulmonares, que podrían haber contribuido al accidente. El informe recomendó revisar los exámenes médicos para los pilotos de planeador.

1. Cross-country cruise: After an aerotow departure from Münster for a planned 460 km task, the pilot continued a long cross-country flight in the Alps, later remaining at about 3350 m near the Fletschhorn late in the afternoon.
2. Suboptimal soaring conditions: Forecast and actual conditions provided only slow progress and weak lift, encouraging flying close to terrain to maintain height in the mountainous area.
3. Pilot health limitations: The pilot had pre-existing arteriosclerosis and significant chronic lung disease, was convalescent from a recent flu, and flew for many hours at altitude without using the onboard oxygen system.
4. Dehydration and low energy: On this long performance flight the pilot forgot to take his usual in-flight food and drink, predisposing him to dehydration, blood thickening, and hypoglycaemia over several hours.
5. Low margin ridge flight: While flying along the west side of the Fletschhorn massif, the glider was flown close to a steep, irregular rock face at roughly constant altitude around 3350 m, leaving little clearance from the terrain.
6. Impaired judgement/vision: Likely combined effects of chronic disease, oxygen deficit, dehydration, and low blood sugar may have degraded the pilot’s judgement and visual performance while assessing terrain clearance near the ridge.
7. Crash - fatal: At approximately 17:47 the glider impacted a rock wall at the Jegigrat on the west side of the Fletschhorn at about 3350 m, destroying the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.