Incident Overview
On July 18, 2020, an Alexander Schleicher ASW 28-18 glider crashed at the Bonn-Hangelar airfield (EDKB) in Germany. The aircraft was operating under a winch launch when the tow line failed at an altitude of approximately 100 to 120 meters. Following the interruption of the launch, the glider entered an uncontrolled flight attitude and impacted the ground, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and severe damage to the airframe.
Aircraft and Pilot Details
The aircraft was a single-seat, composite construction glider with an 18-meter wingspan, manufactured in 2006. It had accumulated 1,417 hours of flight time and was operated by a club. The pilot was a 17-year-old female holding a valid Sailplane Pilot License (SPL) and a Class 2 medical certificate. Her total flight experience was approximately 93 hours, with only four prior launches on this specific airframe type.
Investigation Findings
The German Federal Aviation Accident Investigation Office (BFU) determined that no technical defects contributed to the accident. The winch tow line used a red weak link with a rated breaking load of 750 daN, which was within the manufacturer's recommended range of 675 to 825 daN. Weather conditions were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km and light winds from the southeast.
Probable Cause Analysis
The investigation concluded that the crash occurred because the glider did not achieve the necessary speed for level flight after the winch launch was interrupted. This led to an aerodynamic stall and a steep nose-down attitude. Due to the low altitude at the time of the incident, there was insufficient reserve height to recover from the stalled state before impact. Contributing factors included the pilot's limited experience on this specific model and her inability to manage the emergency situation effectively.