What happened
On March 25, 2007, a Schleicher ASW 28-18 E motor glider departed from Oerlinghausen aerodrome via winch launch for a thermalling flight. After reaching an altitude of approximately 400 meters, the pilot flew with the engine retracted toward the southwest. Upon reaching the airfield boundary, the flight path was altered toward the east in an attempt to locate rising air.
While attempting to utilize an updraft at an altitude of approximately 200 meters, the pilot entered a right-hand circuit. During this maneuver, the aircraft lost approximately 50 meters of altitude. As the pilot continued the circular flight, the aircraft tipped over the right wing at an altitude of about 150 meters. The glider subsequently struck the ground with a heavy longitudinal pitch, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft, the flight data, and meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The wreckage was located approximately 500 meters southwest of the Oerlinghausen takeoff area near a small forest lake. The impact caused the cockpit area to shatter, both wings to break at the wing root, and the fuselage to fracture.
Investigators recovered three GPS-enabled flight data recorders from the aircraft to reconstruct the flight path. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's experience, noting she was a flight instructor with over 1,500 total flight hours and approximately 48 hours of experience on this specific model. Technical inspections of the aircraft revealed no evidence of mechanical failure.