History of the Flight
On 9 March 2016, the DGCA-operated L-23 Super Blanik glider VT-GLK was conducting routine glider flying from Glider Centre Pune, Hadapsar. The glider was released for flight after a pre-flight inspection by an approved Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. Launched at approximately 0821 UTC from runway 09 using a stationary ground-based winch, the glider reached an initial height of 300 m. The pilot then soared eastward, attaining a ceiling of 1000 m. A second glider, VT-GLL, was flying at 600 m AGL west of the airfield, reporting thermals. Both gliders maintained radio communication with each other and the ground instructor. While proceeding headwinds towards Loni, at a radial distance of 9.18 km from the runway 09 threshold, the glider encountered a heavy downdraft. The front cockpit variometer indicated maximum sink (20 m/s). The pilot radioed the ground but transmission was garbled due to obstructed range. Following classroom training, the pilot changed direction left and right four to five times to counteract the downdraft, but the variometer continued showing maximum sink and the glider lost significant height. Deciding to return to the airfield, the pilot turned at 55 knots. Realizing he could not reach the runway, he selected a small open space adjacent to the approach path next to a canal for an emergency landing. During the outlanding, the glider's tailwheel entangled in an overhead electric wire; the glider then crash-landed onto a stack of pipes. The pilot released his seatbelt, escaped, and radioed the inflight glider VT-GLL, which relayed the crash site to the instructor. The ground team rushed to the site.
Injuries to Persons
| Injuries | Crew | Passengers | Others | |----------|------|------------|--------| | Fatal | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Serious | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Minor/None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The pilot sustained a minor injury to the little finger of his right hand and was taken to hospital for a post-occurrence medical examination.
Damage to Aircraft
The glider sustained substantial damage and was beyond economic repair.
Other Damage
The entanglement with the electric wire caused the wire to break.
Pilot Information
The pilot-in-command was a 65-year-old holder of a valid Glider Pilot License (GPL) with type endorsement on the L-23 Super Blanik. His total flying experience was 208 hours 38 minutes, with 166 hours 51 minutes as pilot-in-command on type. He had flown 21 hours 33 minutes in the last 180 days, 13 hours 1 minute in the last 90 days, 2 hours 37 minutes in the last 30 days, 1 hour 55 minutes in the last 7 days, and 50 minutes in the last 24 hours. His last medical examination was in December 2015, valid until December 2017.
Aircraft Information
The L-23 Super Blanik is an all-metal, two-seat, high-wing glider manufactured by LET Aeronautical Works, Czech Republic. It is certified under Normal Category for VFR day operations, with a maximum operating altitude of 10,000 ft and maximum takeoff weight of 510 kg. Glider VT-GLK (MSN 948202) was manufactured in 1994 and registered with the DGCA.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be the pilot's decision to attempt a return to the airstrip after encountering a heavy downdraft and losing height, rather than selecting a suitable field for outlanding earlier.