ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226613
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| Date: | Sunday 23 June 2019 |
| Time: | 15:41 LT |
| Type: | Schleicher ASG-32 |
| Owner/operator: | Vol à voile Club Valais |
| Registration: | HB-3497 |
| MSN: | 32052 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2017 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pra Roua, VS -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Sion Airport (SIR/LSGS) |
| Sion Airport (SIR/LSGS) | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and passenger, who also held a glider pilot's license, participated in the briefing for the gliding day. This briefing is mandatory for all members of the Gliding Club Valais who intend to fly during the day and serves to prepare for the day's flights. The following points were discussed - the weather conditions forecast for June 23, 2019, i.e. a calm day, with little wind and also very few thermals; - the possible dangers indicated among others in the NOTAM3 and DABS4; - the gliders available and their distribution among the pilots present. 1.1.3
Course of the flight during which the accident occurred
At 13:48, the tow plane with the ASG-32, registration HB-3497, took off from runway 25 at Sion airport (LSGS). On board the glider, the pilot was seated in the front seat and the passenger in the back seat. After take-off, the tow aircraft made a right turn and headed towards the heights of Savièse, towards the place called Mayens-de-la-Zour and at the altitude of about 2100 m, the glider separated from the tow aircraft.
The glider remained in the area of Mayens-de-la-Zour for approximately 30 minutes. Then, the pilot headed west following the terrain to the north of Vétroz. As the lift was not good, the pilot decided to return towards Anzère and announced his intention on the mountain frequency dedicated to gliding. Another glider pilot informed him that thermal lift conditions in the Anzère area were not favorable but that they were better on the Crêta-Besse. The pilot of HB-3497 replied that the conditions were difficult, requiring him to "hang on". The pilot then returned to the Mayens-de-la-Zour.
He did mainly slope flying and some thermal flying for about forty minutes. Several gliders from the same club had to leave this area shortly after 15:00 to return to land at Sion. Despite these conditions, the pilot managed to gain some altitude and headed further north towards Pra Roua, along the ridge between Prabé and Crêta-Besse. For about 20 minutes, he flew on the slope with other gliders, mainly on the south-east side of this ridge, but without any notable gain in altitude. Its altitude allowed it however several passages on the western side of this ridge, perpendicularly and at low height.
At 15:40, HB-3497 crossed the ridge one last time from east to west at a height of about 30 m and with a ground speed of about 120 km/h. The pilot then entered a left turn with a bank of about 40°. The glider's sink rate was 1.5 m/s. About 20 seconds later, the glider crossed the ridge again, but from west to east. Its height was now 170 m but its altitude was 30 m lower than the former crossing. The glider was in descent and its ground speed was still around 120 km/h. Shortly after 15:41, the glider was still in a left turn and heading towards the crossing point. It collided with the rocky slope of the hillside at an altitude of 2337 m, about twenty meters below the ridge. The slope was steep and the glider slid about 100 meters downhill.
The accident was caused by risky flight tactics that brought the glider perpendicular to the terrain at an insufficient height, which resulted in a collision with a rock face.
The insistence on flying close to the terrain with unfavorable lift conditions probably played a role in the accident.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/bern/im-wallis-zwei-tote-bei-segelflugzeug-absturz-id15387252.html
https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-berichte/HB-3497.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Jun-2019 09:57 | tom | Added |
| 27-Jun-2019 13:29 | RobertMB | Updated [Date, Operator, Other fatalities, Location] |
| 03-Jul-2019 12:20 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 31-Jan-2022 10:13 | harro | Updated [Location, Narrative, Accident report] |
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