Accident to the S.T.R.A. CB 15 CRYSTAL registered F-CBCJ on 31/07/2024 at Sigloy
Loss of control during a field landing, collision with vegetation, during a competition flight
The pilot was taking part in a competition organized by the club. After two days during which no circuit course had been flown due to adverse weather conditions, the day’s programme was presented to the participants. Three pilots took off and two of them started the circuit course without an actual announcement of the start of the race or its cancellation.
During the flight, seeing that he could not hold a sufficient height, the pilot turned around. On the return leg, he realised that he would not be able to reach the departure aerodrome and decided to land in a field that he had identified. When he took this decision, the glider was at a height of around 200 m.
The pilot opted for a speed 10 to 20 km/h below the recommended speed in order to reduce the energy on landing. At the end of the base leg of the landing pattern that he wanted to carry out, when he was at a height of less than 50 m, the pilot felt turbulence. He then changed his strategy and tried to gain altitude by spiralling. The glider stalled and the pilot was not able to regain control. The glider collided with vegetation and then the ground.