What happened
On April 20, 2016, at approximately 12:15 LMT, a DG-800S glider, registration OM-8255, was participating in the ninth competition of the FCC Gliding event in Prievidza. While flying near Witów, near Zakopane, the pilot experienced a loss of thermal lift. In an attempt to find rising air along the slope, the pilot was unsuccessful and subsequently decided to perform an off-field landing on a previously selected meadow.
Upon approaching the meadow, the pilot noted that certain areas of the terrain were uneven. To avoid these irregularities, the pilot chose to land on a smoother section of the field, parallel to a nearby road. During the final phase of the landing roll, the glider struck a wooden fence. The impact caused the destruction of approximately 30 meters of the fence and resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, including a broken and torn right wingtip, damaged wing skin, a broken cockpit canopy, a damaged landing gear flap, and damage to the Colibri flight recorder.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation established that the aircraft possessed all necessary technical and operational documentation. The pilot, who had 1,500 hours of glider experience, was tested for alcohol, yielding a result of 0.00 mg/l. When questioned regarding the decision not to change the direction of the landing roll to avoid the obstacle, the pilot stated they believed the aircraft would stop before reaching the fence and preferred to avoid the uneven terrain.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the incorrect assessment of the glider's landing roll length.
- A contributing factor was the presence of residual water in the ballast tanks, which had not fully drained after the discharge valves were opened.