Mucha 100 A se estrella en bosque tras pérdida de sustentación en Siblinger Randen, piloto herido
El 31 de julio de 1966, un planeador Mucha 100 A se estrelló en un bosque cerca de Siblinger Randen, Suiza. El piloto estaba ejecutando un giro a baja altitud cuando la aeronave entró en pérdida de sustentación en turbulencia moderada, lo que provocó que el ala izquierda golpeara los árboles. El planeador sufrió daños significativos, pero el piloto solo resultó con heridas leves. El incidente se atribuyó a tácticas de vuelo inapropiadas y a la violación de las regulaciones de altitud.
- Aerotow ridge flight: The pilot aerotowed from Schaffhausen and released at about 200 m above the airfield, then proceeded to fly along the west slope of the Siblinger Schlossranden in weak ridge lift.
- Low, weakening lift: As the pilot continued north along the Churztal, the initial 1 m/s climb decreased to zero and then to 0.5–1 m/s sink, with his height above ground reducing due to sink and rising terrain.
- Very low ridge height: By the time he reached the northern part of the Churztal, his height above ground had dropped below the recommended 50 m minimum for ridge flying, leaving little margin to recover from disturbances.
- Low-altitude turn in lee: In moderate turbulence and lee sink in the northern Churztal, the pilot initiated a left 30° bank reversal turn at low altitude to head back south along the ridge.
- Speed decay and sink: Shortly after starting the turn, the airspeed suddenly decreased and the glider began to mush and sink, likely due to turbulence and/or unintentional back pressure at low speed.
- Attempted recovery: The pilot pushed the stick forward and left to regain airspeed and move away from the slope, but the very low height above the rising terrain made recovery impossible.
- Crash - minor injury: The left wingtip struck trees and the glider crashed into the forest below the Steinmürlichopf, destroying the fuselage and slightly injuring the pilot.