What happened
On August 11, 2021, a DG 808 C glider with an engine (self-launcher) departed from the Ohlstadt-Pömetsried glider airfield at 12:48 PM. The pilot intended to perform an alpine cross-country flight, planning to fly deep into the Alps before returning to the home airfield by late afternoon.
After the aircraft failed to return by evening, it was reported missing to search and rescue services. Using GPS data from external sources, investigators reconstructed the flight path, which showed the aircraft traveling southwest toward the Ammergebirge, passing Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze, then heading northwest toward Reutte. The flight path ended at Kuchelberg at approximately 3:30 PM.
The aircraft was discovered the following morning by a helicopter crew. The impact occurred in a rocky ravine, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the fatal injuries of the pilot.
The investigation
The BFU investigation utilized FLARM GPS data to determine the flight trajectory, as the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder. Due to the unstable terrain and the risk of rockslides, investigators could not access the wreckage directly and performed an inspection from a helicopter.
The wreckage was found broken into several large pieces, with the cockpit and fuselage tube torn away. The wings had also broken at their outer sections. An autopsy of the pilot determined that death was caused by multiple trauma; no pre-existing medical conditions were found that could have initiated or explained the accident.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating with an 18-meter wingspan.
- Meteorological conditions in the Alpine region during the afternoon were characterized by good thermal conditions with light clouds, though turbulence was present near the ridge lines.
- The investigation established that the aircraft collided with the terrain at the Kuchelberg ridge.