Fatal glider accident in Bad Wildungen

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 18 May 2023, a single-seat Standard Cirrus glider, manufactured by Burkard Grob Flugzeugbau, crashed near Bad Wildungen, Germany. The aircraft, built in 1975 with serial number 569G, was destroyed in the impact. The pilot, a 59-year-old private pilot who also owned the aircraft, was fatally injured. The crash resulted in minor field damage. The investigation was conducted by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) under case number BFU23-0322-3X. ## Flight Sequence and Data Analysis The glider began a winch launch from runway 01 at the glider field “Auf der Schaufel” at approximately 13:06 local time. Witnesses described the takeoff as a “Kavalierstart,” noting that the aircraft quickly assumed a steep attitude after liftoff. At an altitude of approximately 70 meters above ground level, the winch cable snapped. The glider initially entered a horizontal attitude before transitioning into a left turn at low speed. After a directional change of approximately 180 degrees, the aircraft stalled, performed a half-turn in a spin-like motion, and impacted the ground. FLARM data indicated a maximum altitude of 113 meters above ground. A significant reduction in climb rate was recorded at 109 meters. Approximately two seconds after the cable failure, the glider entered a left turn with a radius of 49 meters. The last signal was recorded at an altitude of 62 meters. The winch operator reported no operational faults with the winch prior to the cable failure. ## Pilot Background and Aircraft Maintenance The pilot held a Private Pilot License (SPL) issued on 19 September 2021, valid for gliders and motor gliders, as well as a Light Aircraft Pilot License (LAPL) first issued in 1967. His medical certificate was valid until 6 December 2024. According to his personal logbook, the pilot had 3 hours and 13 minutes of glider experience, including 44 starts, and only 20 minutes of experience on the Standard Cirrus type. The aircraft had a total flight time of 2,183 hours and 19 minutes. Its airworthiness review certificate was valid until 18 May 2024, and the last maintenance was performed on 1 May 2023. ## Environmental and Operational Factors Weather conditions at the time of the launch were described as summery, with a wind from the northeast at 10 knots. The glider field is located approximately 1.5 kilometers southeast of Bad Wildungen at an elevation of 310 meters above mean sea level. The field features a 600-meter by 30-meter grass runway with a winch tow path of approximately 1,000 meters. The aircraft’s flight manual specified a winch cable with a breaking load of a maximum of 550 daN. However, the recovered cable had a blue color code and a breaking load of 600 ± 60 daN. ## Investigation Findings and Context The wreckage was found approximately 90 meters west and 260 meters north-northwest of the launch point. The nose section was destroyed up to the wing level, and the left wing was broken at the fuselage junction. The tail boom was detached from the fuselage. The investigation was completed with a factual presentation without analysis or conclusions. Historical safety information from the LBA and DAeC has previously highlighted the risks associated with winch launch interruptions, including cable failures and the importance of trained procedures for such emergencies.