What happened
On March 4, 2002, at approximately 16:00, a Schempp-Hirth Janus C glider, registration D-5580, was conducting a competition training flight near Volonne. The flight, which was the first of the season for both the student pilot and the instructor, had been in the air for approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.
While flying along the Vaumuse ridge, the student pilot observed another glider utilizing an updraft above a specific topographical feature. In an attempt to exploit this lift, the student pilot executed a wide right-hand turn to move away from the ridge face before initiating a left-hand turn back toward the terrain. During this maneuver, the instructor was performing cockpit checks and anticipated that the aircraft would continue the right-hand turn. Upon realizing the aircraft was turning toward the ridge, the instructor instinctively applied back pressure to climb while the turn continued. This resulted in a stall, causing the glider to strike the treetops and impact the ground vertically. The aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the final moments of the flight and the coordination between the crew. Investigators examined the sequence of maneuvers performed by the student pilot and the subsequent reaction of the instructor. The investigation also reviewed the flight experience of both occupants and the communication protocols used during the training session.