Collision en vol entre Ka 7 et L-Spatz près de Schafberg, Samedan entraîne deux décès

Le 11 juillet 1966, une collision en vol s'est produite entre un Ka 7 et un L-Spatz 55 près de Schafberg, Samedan, Suisse. Les deux planeurs participaient à un vol de vol à voile lorsque le Ka 7 a brusquement viré à gauche et est entré en collision avec le L-Spatz par l'arrière. La collision a provoqué le crash des deux planeurs, entraînant la destruction complète des appareils et la mort des deux pilotes. L'enquête officielle a conclu qu'une surveillance insuffisante de l'espace aérien par le pilote du Ka 7 était la cause probable de l'accident.

1. Winch launch - soaring: After winch launches from Samedan, the Ka-7 pilot flew ridge/thermal soaring along the Schafberg area during his planned five-hour flight.
2. Limited alpine experience: The Ka-7 pilot, accustomed to flatland flying and with little experience in alpine soaring, was on his first solo flight in the Engadin and had only one prior local dual familiarization flight.
3. Low height over terrain: Both gliders were operating relatively low above the Schafberg slope, with the Spatz in only 'slight' height over the terrain and the collision occurring about 80–100 m above ground.
4. Abrupt left turn: While flying down-valley parallel to the Schafberg slope toward a group of circling gliders, the Ka-7 abruptly banked steeply left away from the ridge toward the valley center, into the path of the Spatz.
5. Inadequate lookout: During or before initiating the abrupt left turn, the Ka-7 pilot failed to adequately monitor the airspace and did not detect the Spatz ahead and below on the new flight path.
6. Rear-end collision: The Ka-7 struck the Spatz from behind with its left wing root, severing part of the Spatz’s left wing and tail and slightly damaging the Ka-7’s left wing, causing both aircraft to enter steep descents.
7. Crash - fatal: Both gliders impacted the Schafberg slope in steep attitudes and were destroyed, and both pilots sustained fatal injuries.