Incident
On June 18, 2006, at 12:49 local time, a student pilot took off from Kempten-Durach airfield in a Schleicher Ka 6CR glider under the supervision of a flight instructor. The flight was a solo thermal flight near the field, following an earlier dual-instruction flight on an ASK 21. After approximately 20 minutes of flight, the glider was observed at the airfield's position at an altitude of about 250 m. It was seen to enter a spin from a circling maneuver. After one to two turns with no visible recovery action, the glider struck the ground almost vertically. The glider was destroyed and the student pilot sustained fatal injuries.
Pilot Information
The student pilot began training on April 3, 2004. All dual flights, except for the first two on a motor glider, were conducted on an ASK 21. Training focused exclusively on aerotow launches. The first solo flight occurred on July 18, 2004, after 44 launches. Type conversion to the Ka 6CR took place on June 19, 2005, after 79 launches and 31 flight hours. The student had over 10 solo hours, including 2 hours 23 minutes on the Ka 6CR. The day before the accident, he completed two launches lasting 57 minutes on the accident aircraft. At the time of the accident, he had 40 total flight hours and 95 launches, with 6 on the Ka 6CR. The training syllabus item for stall/spin recovery was confirmed as completed.
Aircraft Information
The Schleicher Ka 6CR glider, built in 1965, was properly certified and had passed its annual inspection in September 2005. Loading and center of gravity were within permissible limits.
Meteorological Conditions
At the time of the accident, visual flight conditions were good with 1/8 cumulus cloud cover at 5,000 ft. Wind was from the north at about 4 kt, and the ground temperature was 24 °C. No special meteorological conditions were reported.
Wreckage and Site Examination
The accident site was located 1 km southeast of Kempten-Durach airfield in a meadow. The glider impacted almost vertically. The cockpit area was crushed, and the fuselage and wings were broken in multiple places. The student was found strapped into the wreckage. Examination of the glider revealed no technical malfunctions. All control connections were closed and secured, control continuity was confirmed, and all observed fractures in the control system were attributable to impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the student pilot found no health impairments. The influence of medication or intoxicants was ruled out.
Additional Information
A flight data recorder was recovered, but the flight path data could not be read out.
Assessment
The flight instructor stated that during the preceding dual flight on the ASK 21, boundary flight conditions were demonstrated, and the student's performance was satisfactory for solo flight. The ASK 21, used for most training including stalls, is known to be unable to spin without shifting the center of gravity. Consequently, the student had not gained practical experience with spins during training. The Ka 6CR, like most single-seat gliders, can enter a spin if the minimum airspeed for the flight condition is undershot. With sufficient altitude and correct recovery technique, the spin could have been terminated. The investigation concluded that from 250 m, timely recognition and correct control inputs would have allowed the student to recover successfully. No technical defects were found.
Probable Cause
The accident is attributable to the student pilot falling below the minimum airspeed during a turn, causing the glider to stall and subsequently not recovering from the spin.