Ka 8B overruns a downwind outlanding field into a steep embankment

The pilot was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when it overran an outlanding field and crossed a 10-metre embankment. Neither the departure field nor a nearer airfield was still reachable, so the pilot picked a meadow passed minutes earlier. He flew the final downwind, sideslipping with airbrakes, but touched down mid-field at about 80 km/h with 83 m left. The glider crossed the edge at 40 to 50 km/h, struck a street lamp with the left wing and stopped tail-first on the meadow below. The tailwind component at landing had been underestimated.

1. Soaring flight from Unterwössen: After an aerotow release about 900 m above the field, the pilot worked lift within about 10 km of the airfield and reached about 1900 m MSL.
2. Permanent sink, no way home: From about 12:42 UTC the glider was descending continuously. The home field 21 km away and the nearest airfield 9 km away were both out of reach.
3. Field chosen from above: The pilot committed to a meadow with low crop that he had passed at about 1050 m MSL five minutes earlier, and began a direct approach from about 750 m MSL.
4. Downwind final, too much height: The final was flown downwind. Seeing he would overshoot, the pilot sideslipped with the airbrakes out to lose height.
5. Touchdown in mid-field: The glider touched down in the middle of the meadow at about 80 km/h over the ground, leaving about 83 m before the ground fell away. The pilot steered for the left diagonal corner.
6. Over the edge into a street lamp: The glider crossed the terrain edge at 40 to 50 km/h, struck a street lamp with the left wing over an adjoining road and stopped tail-first on the meadow below.