What happened
On August 2, 2015, at approximately 18:00 local time, a Grunau Baby II glider, registration HB-120, was performing a private flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at Gruyères Aerodrome (LSGT). During the approach phase of the flight, the aircraft entered a spin at an altitude of roughly 1,000 meters.
While the pilot attempted to recover the aircraft from the spin, the glider struck a tree and subsequently came to rest in a forested area. The pilot remained uninjured following the impact.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) conducted a summary investigation into the incident. The inquiry focused on the sequence of events leading from the onset of the spin through the failed recovery attempt and the subsequent impact with the terrain.