What happened
On August 18, 2023, between 12:25 and 12:30 UTC, a LAK-17B FES motor glider was performing a winch launch at the Reutte-Höfen (LOIR) airfield in Austria. The pilot had recently arrived at the airfield and had been conducting local orientation and training flights in other aircraft.
During the launch sequence, the aircraft entered an unusually steep angle of climb. At an altitude of approximately 30 to 50 meters, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The motor glider rolled over the left wing and struck the ground in a lateral attitude. The impact resulted in one fatality and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Board (SUB) reconstructed the event using eyewitness accounts from the winch operator, a flight instructor, and emergency responders, as well as data from local law enforcement. The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, the pilot's recent flight experience at the airfield, the aircraft's weight and balance, and the specific conditions of the winch launch operation. The investigation also reviewed the airfield's wind conditions and the technical setup of the winch cables at the time of the accident.