Akaflieg D-34-D crash near Pontresina after evasive maneuver

On July 25, 1965, an Akaflieg Darmstadt D-34-D crashed near Pontresina, Switzerland, resulting in the pilot's death. The pilot, lacking experience in mountain flying, was conducting a ridge soaring flight when he encountered a pylon of a high-voltage line under construction. Attempting to evade the obstacle, the pilot executed a sharp maneuver that led to a stall and subsequent crash. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact, but no ground damage occurred. The investigation confirmed that the pilot's abrupt evasive action likely caused the stall.