What happened
On May 7, 2016, a pilot was conducting a thermal training flight in an SZD-30 Pirat glider at the Piotrków Trybunalski (EPPT) aerodrome. The flight commenced via winch launch with a crosswind, departing from runway 03. After disconnecting from the winch at approximately 350 m, the pilot began searching for thermal lift over the eastern part of the airfield.
As the flight progressed, the aircraft's altitude decreased to 200 m. The pilot then transitioned to the western part of the airfield. At an altitude of approximately 80 m, the pilot decided to return to the launch field. While crossing the landing line at an altitude of only 50 m, the pilot executed a deep, windward turn. This maneuver resulted in a significant loss of altitude, and the aircraft only leveled out at approximately 30 m. Although the pilot managed to stabilize the glider and complete a landing via a fly-by, the maneuver was highly unstable.
During the approach, the pilot failed to communicate planned maneuvers (such as s-turns) to air traffic control and crossed the runway centerline without explicit authorization from the flight controller.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight path, the environmental conditions, and the pilot's decision-making process. The investigation established that the pilot's actions were driven by a poorly planned approach and a lack of adherence to standard airfield flight procedures. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's experience levels and the impact of recent flight inactivity.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to adhere to airfield flight rules, specifically searching for thermals at a critical altitude, making a late decision to land, and failing to report planned maneuvers.
- The pilot executed dangerous maneuvers at an insufficient altitude.
- Contributing factors included a strong crosswind of up to 10 m/s.
- The pilot's relatively low experience in gliders (approximately 31 hours, with 14 hours solo) and the fact that this was one of the first flights following a winter break contributed to the error.
- Flight habits developed from extensive experience in ULM aircraft (over 500 hours) influenced the pilot to use maneuvers to lose altitude rather than aerodynamic brakes, and to fly based on memory rather than active planning.