Incidente del Weihe 50 cerca de Froges: pérdida de control lleva a choque contra árboles

El 29 de abril de 1962, un planeador Weihe 50, operado por el Aéro-Club de Bâle, experimentó una falla de control cerca de Froges, Francia. Mientras ascendía en térmica para recuperar altitud, el cable de control del timón se rompió, causando que el piloto perdiera el control. El planeador entró en una espiral y chocó contra árboles, resultando en daños significativos. El piloto, único ocupante, sufrió una fractura vertebral pero sobrevivió. La investigación señaló una falla mecánica como la causa de la pérdida de control.

1. Cross-country thermaling: During a cross-country distance task from Sisseln toward Grenoble, the pilot was thermaling to regain altitude on the left side of the Isère valley after being driven down by strong sink.
2. Low height near slope: The glider was orbiting close to a hillside at about 500 m above the Isère valley, leaving limited margin from terrain while thermaling.
3. Rudder cable failure: While spiral climbing above the hamlet of Langelet, the left rudder control cable suddenly failed near the corresponding pedal, likely due to abnormally reduced mechanical strength.
4. Loss of yaw control: The rudder failure caused loss of effective yaw control, and the glider continued in a wide right-hand turn that the pilot could not arrest, gradually converging toward the slope and trees.
5. Crash - serious injury: Still in a right turn, the glider struck tree tops, broke apart, and crashed on a sloping field, seriously injuring the pilot and heavily damaging the aircraft.