What happened
On July 7, 2013, a pilot was conducting a training flight in an SZD-48-3 Jantar Standard 3, registration SP-3268, following a planned route through Olsztyn, Samin, Dywity, and Olsztynek. During the flight, the pilot lost thermal lift and began a continuous descent. Despite the decreasing altitude, the pilot continued the flight on a straight course toward Olsztynek, failing to utilize available safe landing sites, such as the airfield in Gryźliny, which were within reach at higher altitudes.
As the aircraft approached the village of Królikowo, the altitude had dropped significantly. The pilot eventually decided to perform a forced landing in an unprepared field. The approach was executed at a very low altitude, with the pilot performing two turns at approximately 50 m and 40 m AGL. The landing path took the glider over obstacles, including buildings and power lines. During the landing phase, the left wingtip caught on the stalks of an oat crop, causing the glider to enter a 180-degree spin (a "circle" maneuver) across the field. The aircraft came to a stop in a wheat crop. The aircraft sustained major damage, but the pilot escaped without injuries.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation involved analyzing flight data from a VL.10 logger and conducting a motorized glider flight along the exact route and at the same altitudes as the accident to verify the pilot's perspective of the terrain. The investigators also reviewed the pilot's experience, the aircraft's technical condition, and the club's operational instructions. The investigation established that the pilot had limited experience with this specific aircraft type and that this was his first flight of the season.
Findings
- The pilot failed to prepare for the risks of flying in an area with high summer crops, neglecting to identify alternative safe landing sites.
- The pilot engaged in unnecessary risk-taking by attempting to complete the planned route despite losing thermal lift and failing to monitor the critical altitude.
- There was a deliberate disregard for established safety procedures, specifically the failure to select landing fields at altitudes above 500 m AGL, flying below 300 m AGL over forested areas, and failing to maintain the critical altitude of 200 m AGL.
- The landing approach was performed at an extremely low altitude (below 50 m AGL) and involved crossing obstacles and landing at the boundary of two different crops.