What happened
During a cross-country flight as part of a national gliding competition, the pilot of an Allstar PZL SZD-55-1, registration LN-GAZ, encountered weather conditions that were less favorable than forecasted. While flying south of Elverum Starmoen, the pilot found himself flying at a low altitude and began searching for suitable terrain for an emergency landing. After dumping water ballast at approximately 500 meters, the pilot observed other aircraft in a thermal nearby but was unable to find rising air, prompting a decision to proceed directly to a landing approach in a nearby cornfield.
As the aircraft reached the final approach, the pilot realized the corn was significantly taller than initially estimated, measuring approximately 50 cm. The landing was executed without the use of air brakes and with a relatively high nose attitude. During the flare, the tail of the LN-GZ left a 25-meter track in the crop. Upon touchdown, the right wing failed, breaking backward at the wing root.
The investigation
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) transported the aircraft to Lillestrøm for a detailed technical examination. The investigation focused on determining whether the structural failure was caused by an existing weakness or by the impact of the landing. The inspection revealed extensive delamination starting from the wing root and spanning roughly 80 cm, along with two distinct breaks in the wing spar and cracks in the wing tip.
Technical experts from Sweden assisted in the examination. Their analysis concluded that there were no signs of previous repairs or pre-existing damage in the affected area of the right wing. The damage pattern, including the failure of the bonding at the root spar, was consistent with the extreme loads experienced during the landing.