What happened
On September 10, 2013, a training flight was being conducted at EPWK involving a KR-03A Puchatek glider. The flight was intended to practice an aborted winch launch procedure. After coordinating with the winch operator, the simulated abort was initiated at an altitude of approximately 20 meters.
Following the interruption of the winch tow, the student pilot maintained airspeed, released the towline, and fully deployed the aerodynamic brakes. This deployment resulted in a high sink rate, leading to a hard landing. The impact caused minor damage to the aircraft, specifically the bending of the sheet metal above the main landing gear compartment.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the critical moments of the aborted launch and the effectiveness of the aircraft's braking system. The commission examined the sequence of maneuvers performed by the student pilot and the level of supervision provided by the instructor during the low-altitude maneuver.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the excessive deployment of aerodynamic brakes, which was inappropriate for the low altitude and led to an unsafe sink rate during the landing.
- A contributing factor was the instructor's lack of intervention or reaction to the student pilot's actions.
- The investigation noted that the KR-03A Puchatek is equipped with highly effective aerodynamic brakes; however, deploying them too abruptly at low altitudes can make it impossible to achieve a safe landing speed, even if the brakes are retracted quickly.