1999 Glaser-Dirks DG-400 accident at Loco, Ticino (HB-2075)

Overview and flight details On 12 June 1999, a privately owned Glaser-Dirks DG-400 motorglider, registration HB-2075, was destroyed in a collision with terrain near Loco, Ticino, Switzerland. The pilot, a Swiss citizen born in 1948, was killed. The aircraft was operating under visual flight rules for a private soaring flight. ## Pilot and aircraft condition The pilot held valid licenses for motorglider and private pilot operations and had 912 total flight hours, including 510 hours on the accident type. The aircraft had 1,816:50 total flight hours. The Rotax 505 engine had 99:57 hours time since overhaul, and its last 100-hour inspection was completed on 14 August 1998. The airframe’s last recorded annual inspection was on 1 March 1997, with subsequent annual inspections not recorded. ## Flight sequence and findings The pilot departed Locarno-Magadino Airport in the early afternoon. The onboard Zander flight computer recorded an 11-minute climb with the engine running to 1,791 m, followed by a four-minute glide. The engine was retracted at the time of impact. The aircraft struck a tree, the right wing separated, and it crashed into a wooded area. ## Contributing factors The investigation noted several factors, including the absence of recorded annual airframe inspections, a discharged engine battery, an expired ELT battery, and the pilot’s failure to request local weather information or announce to the duty officer. The report also indicated that the pilot may have been under stress and fatigue, which could have affected decision-making. The probable cause was loss of control following collision with trees.