Incidente de aterrizaje en campo del L-Spatz 55 cerca de Lostorf resulta en graves daños al planeador
El 4 de agosto de 1971, un Scheibe-Flugzeugbau GmbH L-Spatz 55 realizó un aterrizaje en campo cerca de Lostorf, Suiza. El piloto, que partió de Courtelary, tenía la intención de llegar a Birrfeld, pero optó por aterrizar en Olten debido a la baja altitud. Al no poder localizar el aeródromo, continuó hacia Lostorf, seleccionando una meseta inclinada para el aterrizaje. Durante la aproximación, el planeador sobrevoló el área de aterrizaje prevista y colisionó con un campo de maíz. El piloto resultó ileso, pero el planeador sufrió daños significativos.
- Aerotow cross-country: The pilot launched by aerotow from Courtelary for a cross-country flight toward Birrfeld and released at about 800 m above ground.
- Low cruising altitude: En route the pilot only reached about 700 m above ground near Olten, leaving limited height margin for continuing the cross-country flight.
- Outlanding field selected: Unable to locate the Olten airfield, the pilot continued to Lostorf and chose a slightly elevated, sloping plateau south of the town as an outlanding field.
- Downslope and tailwind: The chosen field sloped downhill in the intended landing direction and the pilot later determined he was landing with a light tailwind.
- Complex downslope approach: To reach the field the pilot flew a right turn with increased speed over a high-voltage line, then performed a slipping approach with full airbrakes over a preceding wood.
- Speed control lost: During the slip the pilot lost control of airspeed, and when he levelled in ground effect he noticed the glider had accelerated to about 100 km/h and was overshooting the sloping field.
- Outlanding - damage: After retracting the airbrakes and pulling up at the end of the field, the glider’s tail struck 1.3 m high maize plants and then impacted the adjacent field, heavily damaging the aircraft but leaving the pilot uninjured.