What happened
On April 2, 2002, at approximately 16:00, a Centrair 101 A "Pégase" glider, registered HB-1932, was involved in a fatal accident near the Hongrie rocks, west of Sisteron aerodrome. The flight began at 15:30 when the glider and a tow-plane departed from Sisteron. The glider was released from the tow cable near Beaume Mountain, roughly ten kilometers from the aerodrome.
At the time of the accident, meteorological conditions were challenging. While local slope flying might have been possible, a thick layer of cirrus clouds prevented standard circuit patterns, and many local club members opted not to fly due to the poor conditions. Following the release, the glider's flight path was not observed by witnesses. The wreckage was discovered at 16:20 by another glider pilot near a service track leading to a relay pylon, approximately 35 meters from a mid-voltage power line.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path and the state of the aircraft upon impact. Due to damage sustained during the crash, the aircraft's GPS was non-functional, preventing the retrieval of specific flight data. Examination of the wreckage and the crash site revealed that the Centrair 101 A struck the ground with its wings level, but at a high vertical speed and very low horizontal speed.
The pilot, who had significant experience in the local area and had been flying with the club for several years, was unable to provide a recollection of the moments immediately preceding the impact due to the severity of his injuries. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the inadequate control of flight parameters.
- The aircraft's impact characteristics—specifically the high sink rate and low forward velocity—indicate a loss of energy or an inability to maintain sufficient airspeed during the flight.