ASH 26 E stalls off the left wing while slope soaring low

The pilot was killed when the ASH 26 E dropped its left wing while soaring low on a slope and struck the ground. He had set out an hour earlier over ground he knew well, in radio contact with a club-mate working the same area; both had stowed their motors and were soaring. The other pilot, about 1 km behind at a similar height, saw the wings flash twice in the sun and took it for a spin. The logger records a left turn and then the wing dropping; everything before that had been normal. About one and a half turns later the glider hit the slope steeply, left wing low. Wind and thermal conditions at the time could not be established.

1. Self-launch for a local flight: The pilot self-launched for a local flight to an area he knew well, a club-mate airborne just ahead of him for the same area.
2. Motors stowed, both soaring: Both pilots retracted and locked their motors and worked the slope in soaring flight, keeping in touch by radio.
3. Working the slope south-westbound: About an hour later the glider was on the slope heading south-west at roughly 900 m MSL, some 1 km ahead of the other glider.
4. Left turn entered: The flight logger records the entry into a left turn. Everything up to this point had been normal, on the logger and to the witness.
5. Left wing drops: The speed fell below the minimum for flight and the left wing dropped. The other pilot saw the wings flash twice in the sun and took it for a spin.
6. Steep impact on the slope: After about one and a half turns the glider struck the slope steeply with the left wing low, and the pilot was killed. There was too little height for the state to be recovered.