Incident DG 200 lors d'un test de voltige à l'aérodrome de Fricktal Schupfart

Le 2 décembre 1979, un DG Flugzeugbau DG 200 Acro Racer a été impliqué dans un incident lors d'un vol d'essai de voltige à l'aérodrome de Fricktal Schupfart, en Suisse. Le pilote a rencontré un blocage des commandes en effectuant un looping, ce qui a entraîné une descente incontrôlée. Le pilote a réussi à s'éjecter du planeur avec un parachute, subissant des blessures légères. Le planeur a été gravement endommagé à l'impact. L'enquête a confirmé que le blocage des commandes était causé par le câble de réglage de la pédale de gouvernail.

1. Aerotow aerobatic test: During an aerobatic test flight after aerotow release at about 1200 m above Fricktal-Schupfart, the pilot was evaluating the DG 200 AR Acro Racer’s inverted flight and flap settings.
2. Rudder pedal cable layout: The rudder pedal adjustment control cable was routed in such a way that it could interfere with the control stick and its attached wheel brake lever in forward positions.
3. Control stick blockage: While pulling out of a pushed-over looping with a 70–80° nose-down attitude, the pilot attempted to ease back on the stick but found it blocked in the fully forward position by the rudder pedal adjustment cable.
4. Use of roll and yaw: Unable to move the elevator, the pilot used rudder and aileron to turn about 50° left and momentarily level the glider in a high angle-of-attack attitude.
5. Uncontrolled inverted spiral: Immediately afterward the glider pitched forward into inverted flight and entered a steep inverted spiral with increasing airspeed, descending toward the ground.
6. Bailout under negative G: At about 350 m AGL and roughly 200 km/h, the pilot jettisoned the canopy and, with great effort due to negative G and belt load, managed to open the harness buckle and was thrown clear, his parachute opening around 100 m AGL.
7. Crash - minor injury: The glider impacted the ground in a flat inverted attitude and was severely damaged, while the pilot landed under parachute nearby with minor injuries.