What happened
On May 29, 2014, a Rolladen-Schneider LS 1f glider departed from the Löchgau airfield via winch launch for a training flight. The pilot, a student in the third stage of glider pilot training, was performing his first flight in this specific aircraft type.
After releasing from the winch at approximately 550 m AMSL, the pilot flew south and began circling in thermals, reaching an altitude of about 870 m AMSL. The flight path later moved westward and northwest, before the pilot returned to a previously utilized updraft area near the final approach path. At approximately 12:12, the glider began circling again at an altitude between 500 and 600 m AMSL. After completing 13 additional circles, the aircraft experienced a sudden and severe loss of altitude, dropping 230 m within just 24 seconds.
The glider impacted a wooded area approximately one kilometer south of the airfield. The impact was slowed by trees, which prevented more catastrophic damage. The pilot sustained minor injuries caused by debris from the cockpit canopy but was able to exit the aircraft and notify the airfield via radio.
The investigation
The BFU examined the flight data recorder, which provided an eight-second recording interval. The investigation focused on the aircraft's condition and the flight parameters leading up to the descent.
Physical examination of the Rolladen-Schneider LS 1f revealed that the aircraft struck the ground at a longitudinal pitch of approximately 60 degrees, with the nose and left wingtip making contact with the ground. While the right wing and tail assembly were caught in thin trees, the fuselage remained largely intact. The investigation found that the cockpit canopy was destroyed and the instrument panel had shifted forward by about 90 degrees. Crucially, the investigation found no evidence of mechanical failure, as all control linkages and flight surfaces remained intact and functional.