Glider crash near Bédarieux aerodrome in strong winds (F-CECL)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 27 July 2014, at approximately 18:00 local time, a two-seat glider operated by a club crashed near the Bédarieux aerodrome in the Hérault department (34). The aircraft was a Schleicher ASK 13 with the registration F-CECL. The flight was a local general aviation operation carrying a pilot and one passenger. The glider sustained heavy damage in the accident. ## Flight Sequence and Crash Circumstances The pilot and passenger took off using a winch from runway 35 at Bédarieux. After releasing the winch cable, the pilot turned right to search for lift on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. Shortly afterward, the pilot realized the glider was too low and too far from the aerodrome and decided to head directly for the runway threshold. The aircraft then encountered significant sink. The pilot landed in an orchard in front of the glider. The right wing struck a tree, causing the aircraft to pivot 180 degrees before coming to rest. ## Environmental and Operational Factors Estimated weather conditions at the accident site included wind from 310 degrees at 10 knots with gusts, clear skies (CAVOK), and a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. Between 250 and 500 meters altitude, the wind was from 320 degrees at 20 to 25 knots. Strong sink was present downwind of the terrain. Bédarieux aerodrome is located in the Orb valley at an elevation of 1,247 feet and is surrounded by hills. Terrain reaching 3,400 feet is located 12 kilometers to the northwest. The VAC chart warns of turbulence risk when winds exceed 25 knots. The pilot, aged 72, had 385 hours of flight time since 1973, including 10 hours in the previous three months, with one hour on type. The pilot stated that during the maneuvers, he relaxed his monitoring of wind drift, causing the glider to drift away from the downwind leg. He attempted to reach the runway threshold directly but was unable to do so due to headwind and strong sink. The pilot reported gusts from the northwest estimated at 60 to 70 km/h.