Incidente de Rhönlerche II durante aproximación de entrenamiento en el aeródromo de Grenchen
El 27 de julio de 1967, un Rhönlerche II experimentó un incidente durante un vuelo de entrenamiento en el aeródromo de Grenchen en Suiza. El piloto estudiante, realizando un vuelo en solitario, intentó aterrizar con viento cruzado y entró en pérdida durante un giro bajo y lento. La aeronave se volcó sobre el ala derecha y se impactó contra el suelo. El piloto sufrió una lesión leve en el tobillo derecho, y el planeador sufrió un daño del 40%. No se reportaron daños en tierra.
- Aerotow local flight: During a solo training aerotow flight from Grenchen, the student released at about 600 m above ground near Bettlach and soon encountered strong sink.
- Abandons standard approach: Arriving over the airfield buildings at about 120 m AGL, the student abandoned the normal into-wind approach to runway 07 after seeing a Piper on final and fearing a conflict.
- Low experience, distraction: The inexperienced student misjudged the Piper’s actual landing path and altitude, forgot the glider’s right-of-way, and became unsettled, impairing calm decision-making.
- Multiple plan changes: Instead of continuing a normal approach, the student first decided to land with tailwind on the glider strip, then changed plan again on noticing a tow combination preparing for launch and flew along the southern boundary at low height.
- Low, slow crosswind turn: With height reduced to about 20–30 m AGL, the student attempted yet another change of landing direction, initiating a low-altitude turn to land crosswise to the strip while allowing airspeed to decay.
- Stall in final turn: At approximately 6–7 m above ground in this final turn, the glider stalled and dropped over the right wing despite a ground signal from the instructor to lower the nose.
- Crash - minor injury: The Rhönlerche impacted the ground on the right wing, causing about 40% structural damage and a minor ankle injury to the pilot, with no ground damage.