DG600/18M rolls once about its long axis and dives into a mountain plateau

The pilot was killed and the glider destroyed when it rolled through a full turn about its long axis and dived into a mountain plateau. He was on the return leg of a five-hour cross-country when the trace recorded the roll and dive. The wreck lay at about 1470 m MSL. The aircraft was airworthy with no defect found; the weather was good and alcohol and medication excluded. Post-mortem findings were consistent with an acute cardiac event that could have caused a loss of clear consciousness, and no injuries indicated any grip on the controls.

1. Cross-country from Völtendorf: The pilot launched at about 10:04 UTC for a cross-country over Oberhof, Rottenmann, Donnersbach, Oberstuttern and St. Gallen.
2. Return leg over Lunz am See: About five hours into the flight the return leg had brought the glider over the district of Lunz am See.
3. Full roll about the long axis: The recorded trace showed the glider turning once completely about its longitudinal axis over the Lechnergraben.
4. Dive from the roll: The glider went straight from that rotation into a dive.
5. Impact on a mountain plateau: It struck a plateau near the Karlhöhe, north of the Lechnergraben, at about 1470 m MSL in rough ground. The pilot was killed and the glider destroyed.