What happened
On July 28, 2002, at approximately 14:26 UTC, a Schleicher ASW 20 glider was conducting a cross-country flight after departing from the Niederöblarn airfield at 10:28 UTC. While flying in the vicinity of Schladming, the pilot encountered a lack of thermal lift and began searching for a suitable location for an outlanding.
During this search, the pilot was observed flying in circles. At a very low altitude, the aircraft struck an approximately 8-meter-tall tree. Following this impact, the glider crashed into a descending slope. The impact resulted in one serious injury to the pilot and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation was reconstructed using witness statements and findings from the aviation accident investigation office. Because the incident occurred prior to the implementation of the 2005 Accident Investigation Act, the investigation was conducted under the previous legal framework. The investigation was concluded as a simplified report, as the findings were not deemed to have significant implications for broader aviation safety.