Elfe S-3 outlanding incident near Seebach, Germany with no injuries
On June 5, 1972, the Elfe S-3 experienced an outlanding near Seebach, Germany during a triangular cross-country flight. The pilot, who had 523 hours of flight experience, was uninjured in the incident. The glider was heavily damaged when the left wing caught on the edge of a tall grain field, causing a ground loop. The landing site was initially misjudged by the pilot as suitable. No third-party damage occurred.
- Cross-country cruise: The pilot departed Schaffhausen at 10:42 MEZ on a triangular cross-country flight in the Elfe S-3 HB-902.
- Need for outlanding: At about 14:20 MEZ, before reaching his planned goal near Seebach, the pilot was forced to perform an outlanding.
- Unsuitable field chosen: The pilot selected a landing field that he recognized as unsuitable only at the last moment.
- Wing catches crop edge: During the landing roll, the left wing caught on the corner of a 60 cm high grain field, disturbing the rollout.
- Outlanding - damage: The glider ground-looped (cheval de bois), causing severe damage to the aircraft while the pilot remained uninjured and no third-party damage occurred.