Crash mortel d'un DG-100 à Schäner Berg, Suisse lors d'un vol d'entraînement

Le 8 mars 1980, un DG Flugzeugbau DG-100 s'est écrasé à Schäner Berg, Suisse, lors d'un vol d'entraînement. Le pilote a décollé de l'aérodrome de Schänis à 13h37 heure locale et a été entendu pour la dernière fois à 14h30, signalant sa position au-dessus de Schäner Berg. L'épave a été découverte deux jours plus tard, le 10 mars, à une altitude de 1260 mètres. Le pilote a été mortellement blessé et le planeur a été détruit. La cause de l'accident reste inconnue.

1. Aerotow training flight: The pilot departed Schänis at 13:34–13:37 on an aerotow in his recently acquired DG-100 for a solo training flight.
2. Low type experience: The pilot had limited recent experience on the DG-100, with only three prior flights on type and the last one about five months earlier.
3. Aft CG within limits: The glider’s center of gravity was in the rear part of the allowable range, a condition that could make stall and wing drop more abrupt.
4. Local soaring Schäner Berg: After release, the pilot flew locally and was reported and heard on the radio around 14:30 as being over the Schäner Berg ridge in good lift conditions.
5. Unknown loss of normal flight: For unknown reasons while flying near terrain at Schäner Berg, normal controlled flight was disrupted, leading to a high-speed descent toward the slope.
6. High-speed impact with slope: A witness saw the glider approaching the west slope below the Federispitze at high speed in a steep flight path before it disappeared behind trees and a loud bang was heard.
7. Crash - fatal: The glider struck the steep west slope of Schäner Berg at high speed around 14:30, was destroyed, and the pilot was fatally injured.