Incident Summary
On January 30, 2010, at 12:23 local time, a glider pilot flying a SZD-50-3 Puchacz with a passenger on board took off from Nowy Targ airport (EPNT) behind a Jak-12M tow plane. This was the third of five planned passenger flights. After releasing at 500 meters above the aerodrome, the pilot performed several basic aerobatic figures. He then entered a left over-airport circuit and aligned for landing on runway heading 090 degrees.
The glider touched down short of the intended touchdown zone, approximately 100 meters before the downwind marker, without a flare phase. Immediately after touchdown, the glider's nose struck a frozen unevenness on the airfield. The glider bounced to about 0.5 meters and then landed on the nose wheel. The impact damaged the forward fuselage, including the skin near the nose wheel fairing, a section of the floor, and a bulkhead in the control stick mounting console in the front cockpit. Both the pilot and passenger were uninjured.
Analysis
The user's analysis indicated that the pilot likely flew the over-airport circuit with insufficient altitude. Additionally, meteorological conditions—a gray winter day with overcast scud clouds and lighting that obscured ground detail and created a blurred horizon—combined with the absence of reference markers on the snow-covered runway (except for a downwind marker placed after the aeroclub president intervened) made accurate assessment of distance, height, and glide angle difficult. The pilot's limited experience (only one previous flight from a snow-covered runway in 2009) and the additional challenge of flying from the rear cockpit contributed to the difficulties. The pilot had not inspected the runway surface before the flight, nor had he obtained a meteorological briefing. He also did not inform the Head of Training of the Nowy Targ Aeroclub about his intention to conduct flights.
Pilot Background
The pilot began flight training in 2004 and obtained his glider license (PL(G)) in 2009, valid until May 18, 2014. He also held a private pilot license (PPL(A)) valid until January 23, 2014. Before the accident, his total glider flight time was 65 hours 34 minutes in 149 flights, with 21 hours 43 minutes solo on the Puchacz. He had a basic aerobatics endorsement obtained in 2006.
Probable Cause
The accident investigation determined the cause to be improper flight organization.
Preventive Actions
The Head of Training of the Nowy Targ Aeroclub suspended the pilot from flight duties due to concerns about the organization, preparation, and execution of flights. Additionally, all flights at the aeroclub were halted (except wave flights) pending a flight-technical conference. The training process was to emphasize the necessity of inspecting the takeoff and landing surface. For operations on snow-covered surfaces, it was recommended to lay out full runway markers with an additional marking for the touchdown point. Finally, flights from the rear cockpit were prohibited for pilots who were not instructors or instructor candidates who had completed methodical flights.
The investigation did not issue any safety recommendations.
Commission Comment
The Polish State Commission for Aircraft Accident Investigation concluded its inquiry due to gross violations of aviation law and good aviation practices.