What happened
On May 1, 2007, a Schempp-Hirth Mininimbus glider departed from Königsdorf airfield via aero-tow for a cross-country flight. After releasing from the tow plane, the pilot successfully engaged with thermal currents, flying through the Penzberg and Bad Töllen regions.
At approximately 14:17, the pilot turned toward Lenggries. However, due to a lack of rising air while flying toward Eselau-Berg, the pilot decided to return north toward Bad Tölz. By 14:33, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 200 meters above ground level between Wackersberg and Heigel-Kopf. Following a left-hand turn, the pilot continued north.
At roughly 14:35, while flying at an altitude of about 80 meters, the pilot attempted an outlanding on a meadow located to the west of the flight path. The pilot approached the landing site, which sloped slightly downward in the direction of approach, with a tailwind. During the low-level maneuver, the pilot attempted to change direction. During this turn, the left wing made contact with the ground, triggering an abrupt yawing motion around the vertical axis. The glider struck the ground heavily with the nose of the fuselage and came to rest in a position opposite to its original direction of flight. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and later died in the hospital.
The investigation
The BFU investigation utilized data from a satellite-based navigation device to reconstruct the flight path. The investigation examined the aircraft at the crash site, which was a flat meadow with short vegetation, bounded by rows of bushes and trees. The available landing strip was approximately 260 meters long.
The physical examination of the Schempp-Hirth Mininimbus revealed that the impact had destroyed the cockpit area and caused the fuselage to break away behind the wings. While the wing structure remained intact, the leading edges of both wings had split open. No technical defects were identified in the aircraft during the inspection.
Findings
- The pilot attempted a directional change during a low-altitude approach to a landing site.
- The left wing struck the ground during the maneuver, causing a sudden rotation of the aircraft.
- The landing was performed with a tailwind on a downward-sloping field.