Glider accident at Łososina Dolna (SP-3827)

Overview and Aircraft Details On 2 July 2015, a glider accident occurred at Łososina Dolna, Poland. The aircraft involved was a SZD-51-1 Junior glider, registration SP-3827, owned and operated by Aeroklub Podhalański. The glider was seriously damaged in the incident. ## Flight and Pilot Information The pilot was a 24-year-old female student glider pilot holding a LAPL and a Class 2 medical certificate. She had 171 glider flights totaling 51 hours 54 minutes, including 28 hours 15 minutes as pilot-in-command. The flight was a cross-country task for a license, conducted under VFR in daylight conditions. ## Sequence of Events The pilot completed a 73.6 km cross-country flight and returned to the airfield. During the final approach, she encountered sinking air and entered the traffic pattern at approximately 320 m AGL. As she turned onto the final approach, the glider entered another area of sinking air. The instructor observed the glider was below the correct approach path and instructed her to close the airbrakes. The pilot closed the airbrakes but did not increase airspeed sufficiently. The glider landed in an orchard approximately 45 m from the airfield boundary. ## Investigation Findings The pilot was uninjured. The investigation determined that the accident was caused by an incorrect correction of the approach path after the fourth turn, specifically passing through an area of increased sink at too low an airspeed and closing the airbrakes too late. Contributing factors included the pilot's limited experience and the absence of a radio instruction to increase airspeed in addition to closing the airbrakes. No safety recommendations were issued.