Incidente del K 8 B en Bellechasse durante vuelo de entrenamiento no autorizado
El 30 de abril de 1972, un planeador K 8 B pilotado por un piloto inexperto se estrelló cerca de Bellechasse, Suiza. El piloto, que no había recibido la autorización o instrucción adecuada para el vuelo, encontró dificultades durante un lanzamiento por remolque. El planeador ascendió demasiado abruptamente, interfiriendo con el avión remolcador, y posteriormente entró en pérdida tras soltar la cuerda de remolque. El piloto perdió el control, resultando en un accidente a aproximadamente 280 metros del aeródromo. El piloto sufrió heridas graves y el planeador fue destruido.
- 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.