K 8 B incident during training approach at Bellechasse airfield, Switzerland
On June 2, 1970, a K 8 B glider was involved in an incident at Bellechasse airfield during a training flight. The student pilot, conducting their second solo flight on this model, mismanaged the approach, leading to a hard landing approximately 170 meters from the runway threshold. The glider rebounded, turned right, and performed a ground loop, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft. The student pilot was uninjured. The incident was attributed to unfamiliarity with the glider's control inputs.
- Aerotow landing approach: During the second solo flight on the K 8 B, the student flew an extended landing circuit and turned onto a long final at about 85 km/h with the instructor observing from the ground.
- Low type experience: The student pilot was on only his second flight on the K 8 B and was not yet fully familiar with its control feel and cockpit layout.
- Very low altitude: The critical control inputs occurred at approximately 20 meters above the ground, leaving little height to correct any error.
- Aero-brake use with pitch input: At about 20 meters AGL on final, the student re-extended the airbrakes and, by his own account, likely pushed the control stick forward at the same time as a counter-movement.
- Steep nose-down dive: The combined airbrake deployment and forward stick input caused the glider to pitch down to roughly a 45-degree dive toward the ground.
- Hard impact and rebound: The student pulled back on the stick too late, so the nose struck the wheat field about 169–170 meters before the runway threshold, and the glider bounced back up to around 10 meters and rolled right.
- Hard landing - damage: The right wingtip and fuselage contacted the ground, the glider ground-looped and rotated about 180 degrees, causing substantial fuselage and wing damage while the pilot remained uninjured.