Schempp Hirth Nimbus 4D accident at Saint-Chaffrey (F-CPHR)

Flight details and accident sequence On 22 June 2016, a Schempp Hirth Nimbus 4D glider, registration F-CPHR, operated by a club, took off from Château-Arnoux Saint-Auban aerodrome in a towed launch around 12:30 local time. The aircraft carried a pilot and a passenger, the passenger holding a glider pilot licence. Around 16:30, near the Tarentaise valley, the pilot decided to return toward Château-Arnoux Saint-Auban. The glider crossed the Col du Lautaret at about 2,900 metres and then headed toward Briançon. The pilot encountered rain and observed the cloud ceiling lowering. Near the registered field of Casset, the pilot initially judged that Mont-Dauphin Saint-Crépin aerodrome could be reached and continued. As weather conditions did not improve, the pilot changed strategy and decided to return to land at Casset. However, degraded aerodynamic conditions and reduced glider performance prevented reaching that field, so the pilot elected to land in another field previously overflown. Shortly after touchdown, the glider ran over a mound hidden by tall grass and rebounded. The right wing struck the ground and the aircraft cartwheeled. The glider was heavily damaged.