Crash du Diamant 18 près de Heiden entraîne la mort du pilote
Le 5 juillet 1968, un Glasflügel Diamant 18 s'est écrasé près de Heiden, en Suisse, entraînant la mort du pilote. Le pilote, de nationalité suédoise, avait décollé de l'aérodrome d'Altenrhein pour un vol d'orientation. Après avoir largué le remorquage à environ 1400 mètres, le planeur a descendu et s'est écrasé entre 17h15 et 17h20 CET à Bischofsberg. L'appareil a été détruit à l'impact. L'enquête a conclu que le pilote avait probablement perdu le contrôle, bien que les raisons exactes restent indéterminées.
- Aerotow climb: The pilot launched by aerotow from Altenrhein at 1706 MEZ for an orientation flight in the Diamant 18, following the previously flown test-flight tow route.
- Early tow release: Around 1715 MEZ, in calm air near St. Anton at about 1400 m MSL (roughly 1000 m above Altenrhein), the pilot unexpectedly released from tow earlier than planned.
- Undocumented flight path: After release the glider flew out of sight of the tow pilot and no witnesses could later reconstruct the subsequent flight path until shortly before impact.
- Low hillside flight: Shortly before the accident the glider was observed flying along the steep north slope of Bischofsberg roughly 100 m or less above the ground, heading from the ski lift area toward the northeast.
- Loss of control descent: Witnesses reported apparent wing flexing or perceived flutter noises, after which the glider descended and impacted the slope in an almost vertical, left-turning attitude, indicating loss of control at low height.
- Crash - fatal: The glider struck the north slope of Bischofsberg nearly vertically and was destroyed, fatally injuring the pilot.