What happened
On October 23, 2016, a Scheibe Bergfalke IV glider, registration LN-GLN, was conducting a private club flight when it failed to reach Sandane Airport for landing. During the final stages of a 25-minute flight, the pilot reported being on the right downwind leg for runway 27. However, air traffic services informed the pilot of a runway change, directing the aircraft to land on runway 09 instead.
Approximately four minutes after this communication, the pilot reported that the aircraft had lost altitude and was forced to land on the water. The glider impacted the sea near Kleberget, roughly 600 meters from the threshold of runway 09. The aircraft remained afloat after the impact and was eventually towed to shore by a passing recreational boat. There were no fatalities and no injuries resulting from the incident, though the aircraft sustained damage to its belly and saltwater contamination.
The investigation
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) examined the flight circumstances and the pilot's report. The investigation focused on the aircraft's descent profile and the impact of the runway change on the flight path. The pilot noted that while the initial altitude was sufficient, a sudden sink rate of approximately 5 m/s occurred just before the turn to final approach, making the airport unreachable.
Findings
- The primary reason the LN-GLN landed on the water was that it arrived too low during the approach to runway 09.
- An unexpected sink rate likely prevented the glider from reaching the airfield.
- The sudden change in the active runway may have complicated the pilot's ability to plan and execute the new approach effectively.