2014 glider collision near Kalety

Incident Overview On 16 July 2014, a serious incident occurred near the town of Kalety, Poland, involving two gliders: a SZD-48-3 Jantar Std 3 registered SP-3228 and a SZD-48 Jantar Std 2 registered S5-3100. The event was classified as a serious incident and assigned the number 1105/14 by the Polish State Commission for Investigation of Aviation Accidents (PKBWL). ## Operational Context The collision took place during the fifth competition of the 22nd Regional Gliding Championships held at Michałków airfield (EPOM). The pilots were completing a 437.2 km speed task with four turnpoints. Weather conditions were suitable, with horizontal visibility of at least 10 km and forecast cloud bases at 2,000 m AGL. ## Sequence of Events After passing the third turnpoint, a group of gliders was searching for thermal lift at similar altitudes. Flight recorders indicated that at 16:02 local time, the gliders began circling in a thermal. The SP-3228 (competition marks BC) was flying with three other gliders, while the S5-3100 (competition marks MZ) joined the thermal shortly after. The MZ glider climbed to approximately 1,600 m AGL, completed one circuit, and then tightened its turn to head on a 056° course. It exited the thermal ahead of the other four gliders and began a right-hand turn with a climb rate of about 2.9 m/s. At the same time, the BC glider finished its second circuit and entered the thermal behind MZ. The BC glider was positioned about 30 m higher and was turning on a smaller radius, which allowed it to overtake MZ without being observed. At 16:04:30, both gliders tightened their turns toward the center of the thermal. The MZ pilot saw the approaching glider from the left and attempted to maneuver right to avoid a collision. Simultaneously, the BC pilot saw MZ on a collision course and released the control stick, attempting to pass underneath. ## Collision and Aftermath At 16:04:34, the two gliders collided. The wing of the BC glider struck the tail beam of the MZ glider from below. The impact caused the fairing of the MZ glider to separate. Both pilots confirmed that their aircraft remained controllable and continued flying to EPOM airfield without further incident. The BC pilot reported the event to the flight director on 122.20 MHz. ## Injuries and Damage No injuries were reported; both pilots were unharmed. The incident resulted in damage to the wingtip of the BC glider and the fuselage of the MZ glider. No emergency jumps were required. ## Investigation Findings The investigation was conducted by PKBWL under the supervision of Michał Cichoń until 13 November 2016 and Patrycja Pacak from 1 January 2017. The commission determined that the cause of the incident was improper external observation by the pilots. No safety recommendations were issued following the investigation.