Overview
On June 18, 2017, a SZD-30 Pirat glider operated by an unidentified pilot was involved in an accident near Pruszcz Gdański airport (EPPR). The pilot, age 47, did not possess a valid medical certificate at the time of the flight. The accident resulted in one fatality.
Accident Details
After approximately 30 minutes of flight, the pilot attempted to remain aloft using weak thermals on the leeward side of the airport, circling between 200 and 300 meters. When encountering strong sink at about 100 meters, the pilot turned toward the airport but likely could not reach the usable part of the field. Touchdown occurred in tall grass approximately 400 meters from the usable portion of the airport at an excessive speed. During the landing roll, the glider tipped onto its left wing and ground looped, causing the tail to separate and the fuselage to break near the center wing attachment.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a total flight time of 174 hours, including 138 hours as pilot-in-command and 48 hours on the SZD-30 Pirat. In the 2016 season, he had completed 6 flights totaling 33 minutes; in the 2017 season up to the accident date, he had completed 9 flights totaling 1 hour. His glider pilot license (KWT) was valid until February 25, 2018, and his proficiency check (KTP) was valid until April 2, 2018. However, on the accident date, he did not have a valid aviation medical certificate. Consequently, the investigation commission decided to refrain from further investigation.
Investigation Outcome
The commission did not formulate any safety recommendations.