Ka 7 collision with pedestrian during landing at Les Eplatures Airport

On October 12, 1968, an Alexander Schleicher Ka 7 glider collided with a pedestrian during landing at Les Eplatures Airport in Switzerland. The incident occurred around 1803 local time, when the glider, piloted by an instructor and a student, was landing on a grass runway. A pedestrian, crossing the airfield unexpectedly, was fatally injured in the collision. The glider sustained significant damage, but the occupants were unharmed. The investigation confirmed that the pedestrian's unauthorized crossing led to the collision.

1. Aerotow — landing: After an aerotow training flight, the instructor with a student in front entered the landing pattern to land the Ka 7 on the grass runway 24.
2. Low light and shadow: Around 1803 local time the airfield was already in shadow after sunset, with reduced ground contrast despite a still bright sky in the approach direction, making obstacles on the grass strip harder to see.
3. Obstructed forward view: The instructor’s forward view was partially masked by the student’s head and shoulders and further degraded by a scratched canopy, limiting early detection of people on the landing area.
4. Pedestrians on runway area: A group of four pedestrians, despite existing perimeter warning signs and without authorization, walked inside the aerodrome and onto the path crossing the grass runway near the threshold of 24.
5. Pedestrian crosses landing path: As the glider was in the final landing phase with little or no forward visibility from the rear seat, one pedestrian in the group moved across the glider’s ground roll path on the grass runway.
6. Late avoidance attempt: At touchdown the instructor suddenly saw a person in red running on the grass to the right and applied a slight left correction to avoid them while ensuring the right wing did not strike an obstacle, but did not see a second pedestrian ahead.
7. Crash - fatal: The glider, unable to avoid the unseen pedestrian during the landing roll, struck him with the fuselage and right wing root, fatally injuring him and sustaining serious damage while the crew remained unhurt.