K 8 B incident at Bellechasse during unauthorized training flight
On April 30, 1972, a K 8 B glider piloted by an inexperienced pilot crashed near Bellechasse, Switzerland. The pilot, who had not received proper authorization or instruction for the flight, encountered difficulties during an aerotow launch. The glider ascended too steeply, interfering with the tow plane, and subsequently stalled after releasing the towline. The pilot lost control, resulting in a crash approximately 280 meters from the airfield. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the glider was destroyed.
- Aerotow initial climb: On 30 April 1972 the pilot began her first unauthorized conversion flight on K 8 B HB-831 on aerotow from Bellechasse runway 26 in light headwind.
- Glider climbs too high: Shortly after liftoff the glider climbed excessively high behind the towplane, hindering the towplane’s climb and creating an abnormally steep attitude.
- Inexperience on type: The pilot had low recent experience and no proper instruction or authorization on the K 8 B, leaving her unprepared for its pitch and trim characteristics.
- Trim adjustment attempt: Instead of applying strong forward stick, the pilot changed hands to adjust the trim forward while low over a field, but the glider continued to pitch up.
- Steep attitude and deviation: By about 100 m AGL the glider remained strongly nose‑up, drifted left out of towline alignment, and the pilot released the towline.
- Stall and spin entry: Immediately after release the glider, still at a high angle of attack, stalled, dropped left, and entered an uncontrolled left turn developing into about one and a half turns.
- Crash - serious injury: After approximately one and a half left turns the glider impacted a field about 280 m west of the airfield, seriously injuring the pilot and destroying the aircraft.