SZD-9 bis 1D accident near Saint-Jean-en-Royans resulting in one fatality
On July 2, 1962, an SZD SZD-9 bis 1D glider crashed near Saint-Jean-en-Royans, France, during a local training flight. The incident occurred when the aircraft stalled and descended vertically into a forested area. The glider was completely destroyed upon impact. The pilot, a U.S. national, suffered fatal injuries, while the co-pilot, a Swiss national, survived with minor injuries. The accident was attributed to a presumed loss of airspeed and subsequent stall, as reported by the surviving co-pilot.
- Aerotow local flight: The Bocian HB-646 departed Saint-Jean-en-Royans on an aerotow for a local training/soaring flight along the nearby mountain slope with two pilots on board.
- Low ridge-soaring height: After release at about 550 m above the airfield, the glider continued ridge soaring near the mountain crest at an estimated 200 m from the summit, leaving limited height margin above the terrain.
- Slow spiral initiated: While flying near the crest, the crew entered a spiral turn at too low an airspeed, as later reported by the surviving pilot.
- Slow speed not corrected: The Swiss pilot noted and reportedly mentioned the excessively low speed to his companion, but the airspeed was not increased sufficiently to maintain safe margin above stall.
- Stall in downwind: With the glider in a downwind attitude and at too low an airspeed, it stalled and departed controlled flight, pitching into a near-vertical descent toward the forest.
- Crash - fatal: The glider plunged vertically through 15 m trees into the forest near the Col de Gaudissard, was completely destroyed, the rear-seat U.S. pilot was fatally injured, and the front-seat Swiss pilot sustained only minor injuries.