Accidente del SZD-22C durante intento de aterrizaje en campo cerca de Lostorf, Suiza

El 11 de junio de 1969, un SZD SZD-22C sufrió un accidente durante un intento de aterrizaje en campo cerca de Lostorf, Suiza. El piloto, en su primer vuelo de travesía, decidió aterrizar fuera de un aeródromo pero inició la maniobra demasiado tarde. El planeador entró en pérdida durante un giro a baja altura, resultando en un accidente. El piloto sufrió heridas graves y falleció una semana después. La aeronave fue destruida, pero no hubo daños a terceros.

1. Aerotow cross-country: The pilot launched by aerotow from Schupfart for his first 50 km cross-country flight toward Grenchen and released at 400 m AGL before climbing in lift.
2. Low cross-country experience: The pilot had no prior cross-country experience and only one recorded outlanding, reducing his familiarity with off-field landing tactics.
3. Late outlanding decision: As his height reserve steadily decreased en route, the pilot delayed committing to an outlanding until he was at very low altitude, leaving insufficient time for proper field selection and circuit planning.
4. Obstacle appears on approach: After overflying a 55 m high power line with only 10–20 m clearance in a low, into-wind approach, the pilot apparently first recognized a second, lower power line directly ahead in his intended landing path.
5. Tight low-altitude turn: To avoid the second power line and attempt to land under the first line on a nearby field, the pilot initiated a sharp right turn at very low height, turning from into-wind toward downwind.
6. Stall in low turn: During the tight right turn in strong easterly wind, the glider lost airspeed, appeared to momentarily hang almost motionless, then entered a near-vertical nose-down attitude and departed controlled flight.
7. Crash - fatal: The glider impacted the field nose-first at about 70° pitch with no bank, destroying the aircraft and inflicting severe injuries from which the pilot died a week later.