What happened
On July 11, 2015, at approximately 13:45 local time, a Janus C glider, registration HB-1868, was participating in a private flight training session near Courtelary, Switzerland. The flight began with a takeoff from runway 24 at the Courtelary airfield, assisted by an MCR tow plane, registration HB-WAK. Following a standard departure, the aircraft encountered local aerological conditions that resulted in a low rate of climb for both the glider and the tow plane.
During the climb, the tow plane initiated a 180-degree turn while maintaining low airspeed and low altitude. Faced with the precarious situation, the pilot of the glider elected to release the tow rope and perform an emergency landing in a nearby wheat field. While the occupant of the glider escaped with only minor injuries, the aircraft sustained significant damage to the fuselage, empennage, left wing, and canopy. The landing also caused damage to the crops in the field.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the takeoff and the specific maneuvers performed by the tow plane. Investigators examined the flight conditions and the decision-making process of the glider pilot during the low-altitude turn. The inquiry established that the aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and was in the climb phase of flight when the incident occurred.