What happened
On Friday, January 15, 1999, at 14:45, a single-seat Schleicher S.F.B KA 6 E glider, registered F-CBZU, was conducting a local flight near Seillans, France. The flight began with the glider being released at an altitude of 1,200 meters. For approximately twenty minutes, the pilot attempted to locate thermal or ridge lift.
As the aircraft's altitude above the terrain became critically low, the pilot initiated a turn toward the south to return to the airfield. During this maneuver, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of lift. In an attempt to regain airspeed, the aircraft struck an embankment and subsequently crashed into trees. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight sequence and the pilot's maneuvers in relation to the terrain. Investigators examined the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, which included visibility greater than 10 km, temperatures of 12 °C, and light winds between 4 and 8 knots. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's experience, noting that the pilot had 41 hours and 30 minutes of total flight time, with only 2 hours and 20 minutes of experience on this specific aircraft type.