Luftsport - Seilfly havarerte i Sveits mens flygeren filmet med telefonen - ASN

 

Date:	06-JUL-2016
Time:	13:34 LT
Type:	Glaser-Dirks DG-800S
Owner/operator:	Segelfluggruppe Bern
Registration:	HB-3358
MSN:	8-285S51
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Category:	Accident
Location:	Lenk im Simmental -    Switzerland
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Saanen (LSGK)
Destination airport:	Saanen (LSGK)
Investigating agency:	SUST Switzerland

Narrative:
The pilot took off with the DG-800S glider, registered HB-3358, in aerotow at Saanen Airfield (LSGK) at 12:15 on July 6, 2016. It released the tow rope at 12:23 in the Eggli region. HB-3358 quickly gained altitude and the flight first entered the region around Spitzhore. The pilot then flew along the ridge east of the Sanetschsee towards the Sanetschpass. Shortly after passing the Arpelistock, the pilot turned around at 2480 m and flew back. At 12:56 he reached Niesehore, west of Iffigsee. The pilot spent the next 30 minutes in the Iffigsee/Trütlisbergpass region in an altitude band between 2500 m and 2800 m, before passing Niesehore at 13:30. After a left turn, HB-3358 flew at an approximately constant altitude of about 2700 m along the northern flank of Schnidehore towards Mittaghore. After a flight time of 1:17 h, the pilot started a video recording with his cell phone. At this time, the glider was at an altitude of 2690 m about 85 m below the ridge between the Schnidehore and the Mittaghore.
During the flight phase along the ridge, the horizontal distance between the glider and the terrain was 70 m or more. After a slight course correction to the left, the pilot flew at an altitude of about 2700 m over the lowest point of the subsequently rising ridge. When flying over this saddle, the altitude above the terrain was about 110 meters. The pneumatic variometer indicated a descent rate of about 0.9 m/s. From 13:33:19, HB-3358 flew parallel to and offset a few meters north of the rising western ridge of Mittaghore. During this phase of flight, the altitude steadily decreased. The summit altitude of Mittaghore is 2686 m. During the last small course change to the right, the video recording shows the rising ridge to Mittaghore ahead on the right. From the pilot's point of view, the ridge was visible in front to the right of the instrument panel at this time. After turning in over the ridge, the direct view was obscured by the instrument panel. The video recording now shows the approach to the rising terrain on the right side. At 13:33:36 at an altitude of 2690 m the cell phone was panned to the instruments from the right. The indicated airspeed was 80 km/h. The altimeter indicated an altitude of 2662 m at a QNH setting of 1014 hPa. The variometer on the navigation instrument showed an altitude of 2634 m and a mean descent of 0.6 m/s.
The recording sequence of the instrument panel lasted for 5 s before the cell phone was held above the head and filmed the approaching summit of Mittaghore. It was then panned to the left toward Lenk. At 13:33:49, the right wing collided with the terrain in the area of the summit of Mittaghore. As a result, the aircraft began to roll clockwise around the longitudinal axis and simultaneously rotate around the vertical axis. Approximately 2 s later, the aircraft was inverted. In the further course, the aircraft continued to rotate until, about 5 s after the initial collision, it hit the eastern flank of the Mittaghore and slid along the slope about 140 m downhill. The pilot was killed in the process.


Causes
The accident was caused by the right wing of the glider colliding with a mountain ridge. This because the pilot was distracted by filming with his cell phone and failed to recognize the terrain approach. As a result, the glider became uncontrollable and crashed.