What happened
On August 24, 1964, a Ka 6-CR Rhönsegler glider, registration D-8514, departed from Samedan airfield for a mountain soaring flight. The flight began at 14:55 CEST using a motor winch launch. After completing initial maneuvers, including several turns and figure-eights near the Munt Gravatscha slope, the pilot proceeded down the valley.
At approximately 15:15, while flying along the slope of the Munt Müsella, the aircraft was observed by another glider pilot to be suddenly pulled upward into a steep climb. This was immediately followed by a spinning descent, causing the aircraft to strike the steep terrain. The impact resulted in one fatality and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical condition, the pilot's experience, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Technical inspections of the control surfaces and the airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or control blockage. The pilot, a highly experienced glider pilot with approximately 260 hours of total flight time and significant experience in alpine soaring, was found to have been in good health, with no evidence of medical impairment.
Findings
- The aircraft was flying at an insufficient height above the terrain to recover from a sudden change in attitude.
- The pilot likely attempted a steeply banked turn to quickly enter a thermal or updraft.
- The aircraft likely reached a critical angle of attack, potentially exacerbated by the influence of gusty winds or turbulence near the slope.
- The wreckage pattern indicated the aircraft struck the slope at high speed in a nearly vertical orientation.