Accidente de K 8 durante remolque aéreo en La Chaux-de-Fonds resulta en fatalidad

El 29 de mayo de 1982, un Piper PA-18 que remolcaba un planeador Schleicher K 8 se estrelló cerca de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Suiza. El piloto de remolque, que estaba en las primeras etapas de su entrenamiento, y el piloto del planeador, que retomaba su formación tras una pausa de nueve meses, perdieron el control de sus aeronaves. El piloto de remolque falleció y el piloto del planeador sufrió heridas graves. Ambas aeronaves fueron destruidas, pero no hubo daños a terceros. El informe oficial identificó la falta de coordinación y la baja experiencia en remolque como factores contribuyentes.

1. Aerotow climb: The K-8 glider HB-777, flown by a pilot resuming training after a nine‑month break, was aerotow climbing behind Piper PA-18 HB-ORB after a normal takeoff from runway 06.
2. Failed tow release: At about 600 m QFE near Pouillerel, the glider pilot initiated the standard right fuselage opposition and pulled the release handle twice, but for unknown reasons the tow rope did not actually release from the glider.
3. Low towing experience: Both pilots had low experience in aerotow operations, with the tow pilot at the beginning of his tow training and the glider pilot relatively low-time and out of practice.
4. No release verification: Neither pilot verified that the rope had actually separated— the glider pilot did not visually confirm the rope was gone and the tow pilot did not check in the mirror before maneuvering.
5. Towplane turns back: Believing the glider had released, the tow pilot initiated a pronounced right turn to return toward the airfield while the aircraft were still connected by the tow rope.
6. Loss of control in tow: The continued connection during the towplane’s steep right turn caused violent abnormal attitudes, with the glider being pulled nearly vertically and then into further uncontrolled motions while the towplane entered a steep dive and subsequent spin.
7. Crash - fatal: Still connected by the rope until the fuse finally broke, the towplane impacted the ground almost vertically and the glider crashed inverted nearby, fatally injuring the tow pilot and seriously injuring the glider pilot, with both aircraft destroyed.