Sail pilot crashes in Kapfenberg - pilot injured, cause unclear!

Sail pilot crashes in Kapfenberg - pilot injured, cause unclear!

Kapfenberg, Österreich - On June 7, 2025, a severe incident occurred in Kapfenberg, Styria, with a glider. The pilot, a 59-year-old man, crashed with his plane near a residential area shortly after 12 p.m. According to the reports from 5min.at, the pilot steered the glider over residential buildings on its last meters before it had to be.

The crash occurred in an embankment near the bank of the Mürz and not far from the Kapfenberg airfield. The alarmed rescue workers, including the Kapfenberg-Hachendorf and Kapfenberg-Stadt as well as the police and emergency services, react quickly. Several trees had to be removed for the rescue measures to get to the injured pilot.

rescue measures and degree of injury

The Kapfenberg-Stadt fire brigade was significantly involved in the pilot's rescue. Although the exact severity of the injuries is previously unknown, the impressions of the emergency services give the reason to hope that the outcome will be light. The estimates for the impact speed of the glider are around 60 km/h.

A total of five vehicles and around 30 emergency services from the fire brigade, red cross, police and the airfield operator were deployed. The cause of the crash is currently being examined by the responsible aviation authorities in order to obtain precise information about the background of the incident.

background and security statistics

This incident falls into a worrying trend in general aviation. According to the Annual Safety Report 2022, the number of deaths in flight accidents in 2022 has decreased slightly, but the deadly accidents have increased by two in the previous year. Most fatal accidents have occurred in the General Aviation area, including accidents with gliders.

In 2022, the number of non-fatal accidents was 26, which corresponds to a decline of nine compared to the previous year. Most accidents took place on the landing approach or during landing. The analysis of the serious incidents shows that the number of so-called airprox events has also increased.

This recent crash in Kapfenberg therefore raises questions about general security and the challenges in aviation, especially in General Aviation, where numerous such incidents are documented. The public and the aviation community are looking forward to the results of the ongoing investigation.