Glider accident at Ruda, Poland, on 28 June 2011

Incident Overview and Context On 28 June 2011, a glider pilot was participating in the IX National Gliding Competition in Leszno, Poland. The aircraft involved was a SZD-48-3 Jantar Std 3. The incident occurred near the locality of Ruda in Krotoszyn County. ## Sequence of Events During the flight, the pilot identified a lack of thermal lift. At an altitude of approximately 550 meters above Ruda, the pilot selected an unscheduled landing site in a field. The pilot communicated this intention by radio to a nearby glider. The pilot planned to land at the edge of the field, just beyond a corn crop, and to cross the field diagonally. At approximately 15:07 local mean time, the glider touched down on a field covered with mown grass, about 40 meters from the beginning of the field. ## Damage and Injuries During the final part of the landing roll, the glider ran off the selected field and entered a ditch located between the fields. This caused a sudden stop and damage to the aircraft, including the separation of the rudder. The pilot sustained no injuries. ## Investigation Findings The State Commission for Investigation of Aviation Accidents (PKBWL) identified the causes of the incident as: 1. Landing with an overshoot. 2. A terrain obstacle at the end of the landing roll. A contributing circumstance was the landing from above a high crop (corn field). The investigation was supervised by Jerzy Kędzierski until 10 November 2016 and by Patrycja Pacak from 8 January 2018. The investigation was concluded on 13 February 2018. No safety recommendations were issued.