LS4 catches a winglet on the ground turning onto a meadow among houses

The pilot was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when a winglet touched the ground in a low turn onto an outlanding meadow. Released at about 1785 m MSL over a ridge south of the field, the glider sank almost continuously as the pilot searched for lift. A witness watched it circle at 200-300 m AGL beside an airfield, then leave the area and circle lower and lower over a motorway. The approach ran across a built-up area to a farm meadow beside private houses; in the left turn onto it the winglet caught the grass and the glider fell from low height. No pre-existing defect capable of causing the accident was found.

1. Local flight with two other gliders: The pilot took an aerotow from Lanzen-Turnau for a local flight over the Mürztal with friends in two other gliders, intending to return to the same field.
2. Almost continuous sink after release: Released at about 1785 m MSL over a ridge south of the field, the glider found no lift on the south side and sank almost continuously.
3. An airfield passed at 200-300 m AGL: A witness saw the glider circle once beside an airfield at 200-300 m AGL, then fly on. The witness, a glider pilot, was surprised it left rather than landed.
4. Circling lower over the motorway: Further circles over the motorway near a service area brought the glider steadily lower until it went out of sight behind houses.
5. Approach across a built-up area: The approach for an outlanding ran over the built-up part of the village to a farm meadow lying immediately beside private houses.
6. Winglet catches the grass in the turn: In the left turn onto the meadow close to the ground, the left winglet touched the grass. The glider fell from low height and was destroyed. The pilot was seriously injured.