What happened
On May 9, 2016, a student pilot operating a SZD-50-3 Puchacz, registration SP-3115, departed from the Przylep (EPZP) aerodrome for a thermal soaring flight. After approximately 50 minutes of flight, the pilot decided to return to the home aerodrome.
While entering the landing pattern at an altitude of approximately 400 meters, the pilot deployed aerodynamic brakes to initiate the descent. During the approach, the aircraft entered an area of intense descending air currents, estimated by the pilot to be 6 m/s. In an attempt to maintain airspeed and avoid terrain, the pilot closed the aerodynamic brakes and increased the flight speed to between 120 and 130 km/h.
Due to the rapid loss of altitude and uncertainty regarding whether the aircraft could clear a forest located ahead of the landing runway, the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing in an adjacent field. The aircraft executed a left-hand turn of approximately 130 to 140 degrees at high speed, resulting in a hard landing. The impact caused the glider to bounce off the ground. During the subsequent rollout, the pilot performed a circling maneuver to avoid parked vehicles located in the landing path. The aircraft sustained serious damage during the event, though the pilot remained uninjured.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the decision to land in the field, specifically examining the meteorological conditions and the pilot's response to the sudden loss of altitude caused by the atmospheric conditions encountered during the final approach.