What happened
On July 12, 2014, a Rolladen-Schneider LS 4-a glider departed from the Iserlohn-Sümmern glider airfield via aero-tow for a cross-country flight. After approximately two hours and ten minutes of flight time, witnesses observed the aircraft near Nieder-Werbe performing a circular pattern at low altitude. During this maneuver, the glider entered a very steep dive and struck a meadow south of the village. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and the pilot sustained fatal injuries at the scene.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. Due to the extreme level of destruction at the crash site, the aircraft components were scattered within a 40-meter area. The damage to the airframe was so severe that a comprehensive technical inspection of the control surfaces and a detailed mechanical assessment were only very limitedly possible. Analysis of the impact marks and the depth of the debris field indicated that the aircraft struck the ground at high speed with a significant longitudinal pitch.
Flight data could not be retrieved because the avionics components were too heavily damaged to be read. A medical examination of the pilot's body showed that death was caused by the physical consequences of the impact. No evidence of third-party involvement or a sudden medical emergency was found during the autopsy.