Hessisch Lichtenau (dpa/lhe) – According to aviation accident experts, the crash of a tow plane a good two years ago in the Werra-Meißner district was due to complications shortly after take-off. According to this, the small aircraft, which was supposed to bring a glider pilot into the air, reached too low a speed while at the same time too high a bank of the ascending machine. According to the investigation report now published by the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), towing is a highly demanding task. However, the combination of practice level and everyday practice of both pilots did not appear to have been ideal to the experts.
The 43-year-old pilot of the tow plane died in the accident on August 13, 2020 in Hessisch Lichtenau. The machine crashed into a meadow shortly after take-off and the glider’s release. Only the pilot, who died at the scene of the accident, was on board. The glider landed unscathed.
The BFU’s investigations revealed that the pilot of the crashed aircraft had completed the tow launch training two years previously and had then flown about 40 such tow flights. He had relatively little experience with it. It was described by other club members as a conscientious pilot who “would not have taken any unnecessary risks”.
Technical defects were not found on the aircraft, as far as the wreck could still be examined. At the time of the accident, there was no turbulence or strong crosswinds.
