What happened
On June 1, 1966, a Ka 8 B glider, registration HB-809, was engaged in its first attempt at a cross-country flight. During the flight, the pilot was forced to perform an outlanding on terrain that was not well-suited for such an operation near Bazenheid, Switzerland.
As the pilot attempted to navigate the landing, the aircraft was dragged over two separate obstacles. Following this impact with the obstacles, the glider lost sufficient lift and sank into the ground. The force of the impact resulted in substantial damage to the airframe.
The investigation
An investigation was conducted by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) regarding the incident. The inquiry focused on the circumstances surrounding the landing attempt and the physical damage sustained by the aircraft following the encounter with obstacles on the landing site.