Ka 4 Rhönlerche II tow rope snag leads to crash at Bex airfield
On June 6, 1981, an Alexander Schleicher Ka 4 Rhönlerche II was involved in an incident at Bex airfield in Switzerland. During an aerotow launch, the tow rope detached from the tug shortly after takeoff. The instructor pilot did not release the rope immediately, resulting in it snagging on a wire fence during a turn back to the airfield. The glider crashed, but both the instructor and the student were unharmed. The glider was destroyed, and a fence was damaged.
- Aerotow initial climb: During an instructional aerotow launch from runway 33, the glider climbed normally behind the tug shortly after takeoff.
- Tow rope release: Shortly after liftoff, the tow rope unintentionally released from the tug aircraft while the glider was still low and in the initial climb.
- Turn back initiated: Assessing height and speed as sufficient, the instructor immediately initiated a right turn to return to the airfield with the rope still attached to the glider.
- Rope not released: The instructor did not immediately operate the glider’s release mechanism to jettison the tow rope after the separation from the tug.
- Rope snags fence: During the right turn, the still-attached tow rope caught on a barbed wire fence and tore it along a certain length.
- Loss of control: The glider became uncontrollable and entered a right-hand rotational descent following the rope snag.
- Crash - no injury: The glider crashed in a field at the eastern edge of the aerodrome, destroying the aircraft and damaging the fence, while both occupants were uninjured.