Incidente de K 8 B durante la aproximación de entrenamiento en el aeródromo de Bellechasse, Suiza
El 2 de junio de 1970, un planeador K 8 B estuvo involucrado en un incidente en el aeródromo de Bellechasse durante un vuelo de entrenamiento. El piloto estudiante, realizando su segundo vuelo en solitario en este modelo, manejó mal la aproximación, lo que resultó en un aterrizaje brusco a aproximadamente 170 metros del umbral de la pista. El planeador rebotó, giró a la derecha y realizó un trompo, causando daños significativos a la aeronave. El piloto estudiante resultó ileso. El incidente se atribuyó a la falta de familiaridad con los controles del planeador.
- 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.