Ventus-2c stalls at minimum sink speed circling in slope lift below the crest

The pilot was killed and the glider destroyed when it stalled circling in slope lift and struck a mountain face. Returning from a cross-country into South Tyrol, the pilot circled several times in lift on the west face of a 2573-metre peak, at about 2450 metres, at crest height. Flying at the minimum-sink speed for the flap setting selected, the glider lost about 10 km/h in two seconds, stalled out of a right circle towards the slope and hit the face nose-first 200 metres lower. Mass and centre of gravity were within limits though aft, which lowers the stall speed.

1. Slope soaring below the crest: On the return leg the pilot worked lift on the west face of a 2573-metre peak, circling at about 2450 metres MSL — below the summit and roughly at crest height.
2. Ten hours since the winter break: The pilot had 1691 flying hours and 485 on the type, but only three flights in 90 days: two after the winter break, then this four-hour alpine flight.
3. Circling at minimum sink speed: The reconstructed mean indicated airspeed over the last 36 seconds was about 85 km/h, the minimum-sink speed for the flap setting selected.
4. Speed fell 10 km/h in two seconds: At the end of the recording the glider lost about 10 km/h in two seconds, leaving roughly 60 km/h against a stall speed of about 55 km/h at that loading.
5. Stall out of a right circle: The glider stalled out of a right circle flown towards the slope and spun, losing about 200 metres. Mass and centre of gravity were within limits but aft.
6. Nose-first impact with the face: The glider hit the steep west face nose-first at about 2200 metres MSL and was destroyed. The pilot was killed.