Colisión del ASW 19B con un árbol durante remolque aéreo en el aeródromo de Mollis
El 12 de mayo de 1983, un planeador Alexander Schleicher ASW 19B colisionó con un árbol durante un lanzamiento de remolque aéreo en el aeródromo de Mollis en Suiza. El planeador estaba siendo remolcado por una aeronave en condiciones de turbulencia de foehn moderada. Aproximadamente dos minutos después del despegue, la punta del ala derecha del planeador golpeó la cima de un abeto, lo que provocó un accidente. El planeador fue destruido y el piloto sufrió heridas mortales. La aeronave de remolque regresó sin daños al aeródromo.
- Aerotow takeoff: The ASW 19B glider took off from Mollis on runway 20 at 11:45 under moderate foehn turbulence, in aerotow behind a DR400 towplane.
- Low climb, early turn: After about 300 m of ground roll with good initial climb, the tow pilot turned right toward a sparse stand of trees, contrary to the instructed foehn tow pattern and at only about 20–30 m above ground.
- Flight in turbulence: Moderate foehn turbulence caused variations in tow rope tension and sink over the river and adjacent wooded area, reducing vertical margins above the terrain and trees.
- Airbrakes extended on tow: Witnesses observed the glider’s airbrakes being extended and retracted, or remaining extended, during the low-level tow, causing the glider to fly lower than the towplane.
- Low over tree tops: The tow combination passed over the stand of fir trees with the towplane only about 10 m above the treetops, leaving the lower-flying glider with minimal clearance.
- Wingtip strikes tree: The glider’s right wingtip struck a fir treetop about 24 m above ground, roughly 1 m below the tip, causing the outer wing to kink upward and rearward and rendering the glider uncontrollable.
- Crash - fatal: With the right wing badly damaged and still attached to the towrope until it broke under overload, the glider crashed and was destroyed, fatally injuring the pilot, while the towplane returned safely.