Incident de K-8B à l'aéroport de Granges lors du deuxième vol solo d'un élève-pilote
Le 26 juin 1978, un élève-pilote aux commandes d'un planeur Alexander Schleicher K-8B a subi un accident mortel peu après le décollage de l'aéroport de Granges. Lors du lancement par remorquage, le planeur a commencé à osciller et s'est finalement détaché de l'avion remorqueur à une altitude d'environ 100 mètres. Le planeur est entré dans une montée abrupte suivie d'un décrochage et s'est écrasé verticalement, entraînant la destruction de l'appareil et la mort du pilote. L'enquête n'a pas pu déterminer la cause exacte de la perte de contrôle.
- Aerotow takeoff: On his second solo flight in the K-8, the student pilot began an aerotow takeoff from runway 25 in strong, gusty crosswind and turbulent conditions.
- Tow oscillations develop: Shortly after liftoff, the glider began increasingly pronounced wave-like pitch oscillations behind the towplane during the initial climb.
- Challenging wind and turbulence: The flight took place in strong, gusty winds with significant turbulence, conditions under which the student had already shown difficulty on the previous landing.
- Low experience on type: The student pilot had limited solo experience overall and had completed only one prior flight on the K-8 that day, during which he had control difficulties in the crosswind landing.
- High tow position and release: While in a steep climb attitude and about 10 meters above the towplane, the student released the tow rope from the glider.
- Steep turn and stall: Immediately after release, the glider entered a very steep, nose-high right turn, then transitioned into an almost vertical, apparently uncontrolled dive from about 100 meters above ground.
- Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the ground at high speed near the end of the airfield, destroying the aircraft and killing the student pilot on impact.