Grunau Baby II Absturz während Schleppschulung auf dem Flugplatz Bad Ragaz
Am 16. Juli 1963 stürzte ein Grunau Baby II während eines Schleppschulungsflugs auf dem Flugplatz Bad Ragaz in der Schweiz ab. Der Pilot, der nach einer langen Pause das Training wieder aufnahm, klinkte in der Nähe einer Hochspannungsleitung aus, aus Angst vor einer Kollision. Beim Versuch, unter der Leitung hindurchzufliegen, schlug das Segelflugzeug in einem steilen Winkel auf den Boden auf. Der Pilot erlitt leichte Verletzungen, während das Segelflugzeug vollständig zerstört wurde. Der offizielle Bericht führt den Unfall auf eine Fehleinschätzung der Situation durch den Piloten zurück.
- Aerotow initial climb: During the second aerotow training flight after a break of more than a year, the glider was climbing behind the Chipmunk towplane from runway 29.
- Low recent experience: The pilot had limited total gliding experience and was resuming flying after an interruption of more than one year, reducing his recency and judgment margins.
- High-voltage line ahead: About 550 m beyond the runway end in the takeoff direction, a roughly 30 m high high-voltage power line crossed the departure path, making climb performance margins tight.
- Perceived obstacle conflict: As the tow approached the power line, the glider pilot, having overflown the towplane, believed the combination would not clear the cables and feared a collision.
- Premature tow release: Shortly before the power line, the pilot released from tow and immediately pushed into a steep dive in an attempt to pass under the cables.
- Excessive nose-down dive: In diving to avoid the perceived obstacle, the pilot steepened the glider’s attitude so much that he could not recover to level flight in the remaining height above ground.
- Crash - minor injury: The glider struck the ground at a steep angle short of the power line, was completely destroyed, and the pilot sustained only minor abrasions.