What happened
On October 16, 2021, a Glaser Dirks DG200/17 glider, registration EC-MQA, was performing a private flight at the Santa Cilia Aerodrome in Huesca, Spain. The pilot, who was conducting a familiarization flight with the more complex flap-equipped aircraft, was executing a landing approach on runway 27.
During the final approach, the pilot experienced a sudden, sharp descent. Believing the aircraft had entered a stall, the pilot executed a recovery maneuver by pushing the control stick forward to decrease the angle of attack and regain airspeed. This action caused the aircraft to pitch down aggressively, reaching an estimated 70-degree nose-down angle. While the pilot momentarily stabilized the glider, the aircraft struck the ground approximately 45 meters before a nearby ravine. The glider slid through the terrain, striking trees that tore off the wings, before the fuselage came to rest in the ravine.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on determining whether an actual aerodynamic stall occurred. Investigators analyzed flight recorder data, which showed the airspeed was approximately 100 km/h—well above the stall speed for any flap configuration in a light wing loading condition. Furthermore, ground marks indicated the aircraft maintained significant horizontal velocity, which is inconsistent with a vertical stall drop.
The investigation established that the pilot likely misidentified a sudden change in aircraft attitude as a stall. A primary factor was a configuration error: instead of setting the flaps to +8, the pilot had inadvertently set them to -8. When the pilot applied airbrakes to descend, this incorrect flap setting caused a much more pronounced and unexpected change in the aircraft's pitch and glide path. The investigation also noted that the pilot's lack of experience with this specific model contributed to the misinterpretation of the aircraft's behavior.
Findings
- The pilot's erroneous perception of a stall led to the execution of an inappropriate recovery maneuver during the landing approach.
- The pilot lacked sufficient flight experience in this specific aircraft model.
- The aircraft was incorrectly configured with flaps at -8 instead of the intended +8, which exacerbated the sudden change in flight attitude when airbrakes were deployed.
- The pilot's attempt to recover from the perceived stall resulted in a steep nose-down pitch and subsequent impact with the terrain.