Ka 6 crash during outlanding near Neuendorf, Switzerland
On August 18, 1967, an Alexander Schleicher Ka 6CR was involved in an outlanding incident near Neuendorf, Switzerland. The pilot, participating in a national gliding competition, encountered deteriorating wind conditions on the return leg of a cross-country flight. While attempting to land in a field, the aircraft entered a steep dive and crashed. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the glider was destroyed. The official report suggests that the pilot likely misjudged the wind conditions, leading to the accident.
- Aerotow cross-country: The pilot aerotowed from Birrfeld for a competition cross-country to Courtelary and then began the return leg along the first Jura ridge.
- Late-day weakening lift: As the day progressed, shading of the south Jura slopes caused the thermals to weaken, forcing the pilot progressively lower on the return leg.
- Low altitude near ridge: Around Gensingen the pilot was already down to about 300 m above ground and later continued east with only 80–100 m AGL near Egerkingen/Neuendorf while still trying to progress.
- Turbulent shifting winds: Near the intended outlanding area there were gusty northwesterly winds and possible local fall winds from the Jura, creating turbulent, changing wind conditions close to the ground.
- Turn to landing direction: At low height the pilot turned left from a downwind/base-like leg to align with his chosen landing direction between the railway and the autobahn.
- Stall and nose drop: While turning in turbulent tailwind conditions, the glider was likely over‑pitched to hold the ground track, the inner wing stalled, and the aircraft abruptly pitched nose-down into a steep 45° dive with no effective recovery control inputs observed.
- Crash - serious injury: The glider impacted the field left wing first, overturned, and came to rest inverted about 65 m from the railway line, seriously injuring the pilot and destroying the aircraft.