Astir CS fatal collision with mountain near Setzehorn, Switzerland
On July 22, 1981, a Grob Astir CS glider piloted by a Swiss national departed from Münster for a training flight. The pilot intended to fly for 2.5 to 3 hours but failed to return by 3 PM, prompting a search operation. The wreckage was discovered later that afternoon on a snowy slope south of Setzehorn at an altitude of over 2900 meters. The pilot was found deceased, and the glider was destroyed. The collision with the mountain was attributed to an uncontrolled flight phase, possibly due to piloting or medical issues, but not technical problems.
- Aerotow to training area: The pilot aerotowed from Münster at 11:44 and released near Tällernalp at about 2200 m for a planned 2.5–3 hour alpine training flight between the Grimsel Pass and Aletsch Glacier.
- Limited alpine experience: The pilot had limited high-mountain soaring experience and this was her first high-alpine flight on the Astir CS type.
- Inadequate cold protection: The pilot was only lightly dressed for an alpine flight, which together with flight at around 3000 m could have adversely affected her physical and mental condition.
- Thermaling near Setzehorn: Around 13:45 the glider was last seen thermaling near the Galmihornhütte, and conditions near Setzehorn included cumulus with bases around 3100–3200 m.
- Onset of uncontrolled flight: Sometime between about 14:00 and 14:30 the glider entered an uncontrolled flight state for undetermined piloting and/or medical reasons, with no evidence of technical failure.
- Steep high-speed descent: From the uncontrolled state the glider descended steeply with high speed toward the terrain, as inferred from the wreckage pattern and impact damage.
- Crash - fatal: The glider collided with the steep snowy east slope about 400 m south of Setzehorn at roughly 2920–2940 m, was destroyed, and the pilot was fatally injured.