What happened
On May 15, 2014, a student pilot was conducting solo training flights at the SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider at the EPLS aerodrome as part of a glider training program. The flight began at 08:28 under favorable weather conditions, with winds from 350°–360° at 5–6 m/s and cloud cover increasing from 2/8 to 3/8 with bases above 500 m.
At approximately 09:38, the student pilot departed for a solo winch launch. The takeoff and initial circuit were completed without incident. During the landing approach, the glider was aligned with the runway axis at an altitude of approximately 200 m. The pilot initiated the approach at a speed of roughly 95 km/h, utilizing brakes at approximately three-quarters open to maintain the correct glide path.
As the aircraft reached an altitude of about 20–30 m above the ground, the student pilot attempted to increase the airspeed from 90 km/h to 100 km/h by pitching the nose down at an angle of approximately 30°. During this maneuver, the pilot failed to respond to instructions from the supervising instructor to reduce the pitch. The pilot eventually corrected the pitch before touchdown, but the glider landed in a rapeseed field approximately 70° to the left of the runway centerline. The undershoot was approximately 140 m short of the lower threshold. The aircraft sustained damage to the trailing edge of the left wing, but the pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight parameters, the pilot's actions, and the communication between the student and the instructor. It was established that the student pilot had completed 31 training flights during the 2014 season, with a total flight time of 3 hours and 36 minutes for the season and 10 hours and 12 minutes overall. The investigation reviewed the pilot's statement, which attributed the improper approach profile to an incorrect assessment of both approach speed and the flare altitude.