Incident
On 6 June 1972, at 1303 hours Central European Time, a pilot departed from Schaffhausen airfield in a Rhönlerche II glider (registration HB-669) for a planned five-hour flight. Due to deteriorating weather conditions—including a low cloud ceiling and occasional showers—the pilot was forced to return to the airfield at low altitude. However, headwinds prevented reaching the airfield. The pilot initially aimed for a direct approach to a field roughly halfway to the airfield but realized it would be insufficient. At an altitude of 40–50 meters above ground, he turned 90° left toward a mown meadow. At 1318 hours, he executed a forced landing in that meadow, located 1 km east of the airfield, with strong crosswinds. The glider was heavily damaged, but the pilot was not injured. No third-party damage occurred.
Aircraft and Pilot
The glider, a Rhönlerche II (HB-669), was airworthy and properly certified. The pilot, born in 1943, held a valid glider pilot license. He had a total flight experience of approximately 37 hours, of which 19 hours were on the accident type. In the 90 days preceding the accident, he flew 13 hours, but none on the accident type.
Conclusion
The commission unanimously concluded that the accident occurred because the pilot decided to change the intended landing field while at low altitude.