What happened
On June 22, 1986, a SZD-48/3 Jantar glider with registration HB-1713 was involved in a fatal accident near Ludesch, Vorarlberg, Austria. The pilot had launched from Hohenems at 09:03 UTC for a distance flight via St. Georgenberg and Pontresina. After returning to the vicinity of Hohenems, the pilot extended the flight eastward toward the Arlberg region.
By late afternoon, thermal lift had dissipated. Between 17:03 and 17:13 UTC, the aircraft entered a steady descent, losing approximately 600 meters of altitude. Eyewitnesses observed the glider flying slowly just above a wooded saddle at the "Hängender Stein" ridge. The pilot attempted a left turn but lost control before completing it. The aircraft stalled over its left wing and descended nearly vertically. It impacted the steep, forested slope at an angle of roughly 45 degrees with significant longitudinal pitch. The glider was destroyed, and the pilot was killed instantly.
The investigation
The Austrian Federal Ministry for Public Economy and Transport conducted the inquiry. Technical examination confirmed the airframe was airworthy and all control surfaces functioned correctly prior to impact. Weather conditions were clear with good visibility, ruling out meteorological factors as a cause. A barograph recorded the final descent profile.
Reconstruction of the flight path indicated that the pilot had been flying for approximately eight hours under high summer temperatures. The investigation noted that the available altitude was insufficient to recover from the stall. Similar incidents involving long-duration gliding flights were noted in the same region, highlighting systemic risks associated with extended competition-style flying.
Findings
The primary cause of the accident was the aircraft stalling below its minimum sustaining speed. Contributing factors included severe pilot fatigue due to the prolonged eight-hour flight duration and extreme heat, as well as the psychological stress of preparing for an unavoidable forced landing in terrain. The pilot’s ability to accurately judge airspeed had likely degraded after hours of competitive flying.
Safety action
Investigators recommended that glider pilots operating in alpine regions must actively search for suitable landing sites once they reach 1,000 meters above valley floor level. By approximately 500 meters above the valley floor, the distance flight should be concluded, and landing preparations initiated. Failure to adhere to this guideline often results in attempts at forced landings being made too late, particularly when pilots have lost their sense of airspeed after extended periods in competition conditions.