Crash d'un K 8 lors d'un remorquage à La Chaux-de-Fonds entraîne un décès

Le 29 mai 1982, un Piper PA-18 remorquant un planeur Schleicher K 8 s'est écrasé près de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Suisse. Le pilote de remorquage, qui était au début de sa formation, et le pilote de planeur, reprenant l'entraînement après une pause de neuf mois, ont perdu le contrôle de leurs appareils. Le pilote de remorquage a été tué et le pilote de planeur a subi de graves blessures. Les deux appareils ont été détruits, mais il n'y a eu aucun dommage à des tiers. Le rapport officiel a identifié une coordination insuffisante et une faible expérience de remorquage comme facteurs contributifs.

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.