Incidente de aterrizaje en campo de un SZD-22A cerca de Lyss resulta en lesiones graves al piloto

El 21 de junio de 1969, un SZD-22A experimentó un incidente de aterrizaje en campo cerca de Lyss, Suiza. El piloto intentó un aterrizaje en un campo que había inspeccionado previamente pero nunca utilizado para aterrizar. Durante la aproximación, el planeador entró en pérdida mientras el piloto realizaba un giro correctivo para perder altitud, resultando en un choque. El piloto sufrió lesiones graves y la aeronave fue destruida. La investigación confirmó que el accidente se debió a una selección de terreno inadecuada y a la falta de mantenimiento de la velocidad mínima durante el giro.

1. Aerotow cross-country: The pilot aerotowed from Courtelary for a cross-country flight with the personal intention of performing his first off-airfield outlanding in a pre-selected field near his home.
2. Inadequate preparation: The pilot did not obtain specific meteorological or route information, did not brief club staff about the planned outlanding, and chose a marginal field with a downslope approach and trees at the far end for his first off-field landing.
3. High approach to field: After a normal cross-country and descent over Lyss, the pilot entered the intended landing area still relatively high and continued to lose height with turns, joining the final approach too high for the lower-lying field.
4. High on short final: On short final at about 20 m above ground, the pilot realized he was still too high and feared overshooting into the trees at the end of the chosen field.
5. 360° turn at low height: To lose excess height, the pilot retracted the airbrakes and initiated a relatively flat 360° left turn at approximately 20 m above ground instead of using safer height-loss techniques.
6. Low-speed stall in turn: During the low-altitude left turn, the glider stalled and pitched forward despite the pilot’s control inputs, leading to an unrecoverable loss of control close to the ground.
7. Crash - serious injury: The glider impacted the ground about 20 m short and 150 m left of the intended touchdown point, destroying the aircraft and seriously injuring the pilot.