What happened
On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 13:35, a Rolladen Schneider LS 6 C glider, registration D-1179, was participating in a flight training session near the Montagne de Châbre. After departing from Serres airfield, the pilot joined a formation of three other gliders to practice slope soaring. The group flew in a column toward the training area, reaching an altitude of approximately 1,200 meters.
Upon reaching the area, the gliders began circling a thermal along the northern flank of the mountain, navigating around a known hang gliding launch site. During the climb to 1,800 meters, the instructor pilot spotted a Tecma F1 Tempo hang glider flying in the same thermal, positioned slightly lower and moving in the same direction. The instructor alerted the other pilots to the presence of the hang glider and noted additional hang gliders positioned above his aircraft.
As the formation began to exit the area, the pilot of the D-1s79 was executing a left turn within the thermal when the left wing of the glider struck the upper central mast of the hang glider. The impact caused the immediate disintegration of the hang glider. The hang glider pilot was forced to deploy a reserve parachute to land safely. The glider pilot landed at Serres airfield without further incident. The collision resulted in one destroyed hang glider and minor damage to the glider's left wing leading edge and underside.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the visibility of the aircraft and the operational environment of the Montagne de Châbre. The site is located within Class G airspace, where pilots are governed by visual flight rules (VFR) and the responsibility to "see and avoid." The region is highly active for both gliding and free flight, with several clubs operating year-round.
The investigation established that while the area is a known hub for hang gliding, the specific launch sites are managed through agreements between local authorities and the French Free Flight Federation. Notably, the investigation found that the establishment of these specific sites is not formally communicated to civil aviation authorities.