Incidente de ASW 19B durante el aterrizaje en el aeródromo de Buochs resulta en fatalidad
El 30 de junio de 1984, un planeador ASW 19B experimentó un incidente de aterrizaje en el aeródromo de Buochs en Suiza. El piloto, que tenía una experiencia de vuelo significativa pero poco tiempo en este modelo, encontró dificultades durante la aproximación de aterrizaje. El planeador se acercó a la pista demasiado alto y rápido, lo que resultó en un aterrizaje brusco. A pesar de la ausencia de fallos técnicos preexistentes, el piloto resultó fatalmente herido. El informe sugiere que una condición médica podría haber contribuido al incidente.
- Local soaring flight: After an aerotow departure from Buochs, the pilot released near the Bürgenstock ridge, briefly climbed in thermals, then lost usable lift after moving to the Stanserhorn area and back.
- Low height near field: On returning toward the airfield from the Gupf area, the pilot no longer had sufficient altitude to rejoin thermals and committed to a landing.
- Medical vulnerability: The pilot was being treated for diabetes mellitus with an oral antidiabetic (Daonil), a medication known to be capable of causing hypoglycaemic episodes with possible consciousness disturbance under stress.
- Unstabilized fast approach: During the landing pattern the glider turned onto final for runway 07R too high and too fast, with the pilot initially failing to extend the landing gear.
- Delayed gear extension: Only after repeated radio calls from the ground pointing out the retracted gear did the pilot extend the undercarriage.
- Control confusion: The pilot apparently confused the airbrake and undercarriage levers, resulting in an unstable, high-speed final approach with the glider flying unsteadily toward the hard-surface runway at about a 20° angle.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the hard-surface runway multiple times at high speed and came to rest after about 300 m, causing severe injuries from which the pilot later died and substantial damage to the aircraft.