What happened
On November 10, 2019, an Alexander Schleicher AS-K 13 glider was performing a winch launch at the Braunfels airfield. During the initial climb, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of airspeed and felt a gentle impact, which was identified as a winch cable break. At the time of the break, the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 45 meters above the runway threshold.
Following the break, the pilot maintained control and successfully released the remaining cable connection. To manage the emergency, the pilot decided to execute a shortened circuit rather than an immediate straight-in landing or a reversal maneuver. During the final approach phase of this shortened circuit, the glider entered a turn with an average bank angle of approximately 39 degrees. During this maneuver, the left wing struck a tree, causing the aircraft to impact the ground with its nose, resulting in the aircraft being overturned.
Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries, specifically bruises and abrasions. The aircraft suffered heavy damage, including a broken main spar in the right wing and multiple fractures in the left wing spar.