What happened
On April 30, 2001, at approximately 15:38 UTC, an SZD-55-1 glider crashed in the Leoganger Steinberge mountains near Leogang, Austria. The flight originated from Micheldorf (LOLM) as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country mission intended to fly to Zell am See and return to Micheldorf.
Weather conditions on the day were characterized by light cloud cover but featured active southern currents and significant south Föhn winds, which produced low-level turbulence. The pilot's last contact with another glider pilot occurred around 15:00 UTC. Following the aircraft's failure to return to base, the airfield manager reported the aircraft missing to the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) later that evening.
After a distress signal was detected in the Kalser Tauern area, a search aircraft was deployed. The wreckage was eventually located by ground rescue teams at Plattenkopf. Data recovered from the aircraft's flight logger indicated that the aircraft was flying in circles shortly before the impact, suggesting the pilot was actively searching for an updraft.
The investigation
The investigation reconstructed the flight path using witness statements, official security service findings, and data retrieved from the aircraft's onboard logger. The investigation focused on the flight dynamics in the moments leading up to the impact and the meteorological conditions present in the region.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained total damage upon impact.
- The pilot sustained one fatality.
- The investigation established that the aircraft was performing circling maneuvers to locate thermal lift.
- The crash was caused by a sudden loss of altitude resulting in contact with rising terrain.
- Contributing factors included severe turbulence caused by strong south Föhn winds and the potential for rapidly changing aerodynamic conditions when crossing mountain ridges, which likely led to insufficient airspeed to maintain flight.