Accident
On 1 June 2014, a mid‑air collision occurred between two gliders participating in the Regional Glider Competition "Jantar Cup" and the 4th Polish Gliding Championships 15 m Class at the Piła airfield (EPPI). The first glider, a SZD 48‑3 Jantar Std‑3 with competition marking K2 (registration SP‑3674 or SP‑3821), and the second, a SZD 41A Jantar Std with marking FX (the other registration), were both in flight over the city of Piła.
At approximately 10:53 UTC, at an altitude of about 880 m AGL, the two gliders collided. Both pilots attempted to bail out using parachutes. The pilot of glider K2 did not open his parachute and struck a parked car, resulting in his death at the scene. The pilot of glider FX landed safely on a school field without injury. Falling wreckage from glider FX struck a passerby on the ground, causing serious injuries.
Aircraft
Both gliders were of the SZD Jantar series. One was a SZD 48‑3 Jantar Std‑3 and the other a SZD 41A Jantar Std. The aircraft were privately owned and operated. The two registrations involved were SP‑3674 and SP‑3821.
Injuries
The accident resulted in one fatality (pilot of K2), one serious injury (a bystander on the ground), and one uninjured person (pilot of FX). No other injuries were reported.
Investigation
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) conducted the investigation. The investigation report identified two causes:
1. Improper lookout and poor division of attention while circling in a thermal with a large number of gliders. 2. The most probable cause of the K2 pilot's death was the securing of the parachute handle with a cable tie, which prevented the parachute from opening.
The investigation did not issue any safety recommendations.