What happened
On July 31, 2009, a Sportavia Pützer Fournier RF 4D motor glider, registration D-KIRE, was conducting a VFR flight from Bolzano Airport toward Lahr, Germany. The aircraft was flying in formation with another glider of the same type, D-KARL, which was leading the formation.
During the ascent, the pilot of the lead aircraft lost radio and visual contact with D-KIRE. Shortly thereafter, an Austrian rescue helicopter located the wreckage of the glider on a rocky ledge near the Passo del Rombo, near the Italian-Austrian border. The impact occurred at an altitude of approximately 2,468 meters. The pilot, a 64-year-old male, sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the wreckage, meteorological data, and eyewitness accounts. Technical inspections of the D-KIRE revealed that the engine, flight controls, and maintenance records were all in good condition. The propeller showed damage consistent with a strike against a solid surface while the engine was not rotating, suggesting the aircraft slid across the ice after the initial impact.
An autopsy of the pilot ruled out medical emergencies or toxicological factors as causes of death. Eyewhelss on the ground reported seeing the glider flying at an extremely low altitude before striking the rock face without performing any significant maneuvers.
Findings
- The investigation identified the loss of control as the primary cause of the accident.
- The pilot was flying at an extremely low altitude near the mountain crest, which likely placed the aircraft within a zone of intense turbulence.
- Localized solar heating of the uneven terrain likely generated strong slope thermals and mechanical turbulence (obstacle vortices) along the rocky walls.
- It is probable that the pilot encountered sudden, powerful downdrafts while attempting to clear the ridge, and a subsequent attempt to turn right into the Val Passiria was insufficient to avoid the impact.