Incident Details
On 16 May 2018, at the Wrocław-Szymanów airfield (EPWS), a glider training flight was conducted using an SZD-9 bis 1E Bocian. The aircraft was launched by winch on runway 32, with a weak wind along the landing direction. Due to deteriorating weather and the end of the day, this was the final planned flight. Shortly after takeoff, the crew entered an area of intense rainfall over the airfield.
During the landing approach, around 19:07 LMT, the student pilot misjudged the height above ground and initiated the flare too early. Despite the instructor closing the airbrakes, the glider dropped from approximately 1 meter, resulting in damage to the undercarriage. The crew, comprising a student and an instructor, were uninjured and exited the glider unassisted. Photographs were taken, and the glider was subsequently disassembled and transported to a hangar.
Crew Information
The student pilot, aged 30, had a total flight time of 4 hours and 18 minutes and was undergoing basic training on a winch launch. The student held a valid Class 2 medical certificate.
The instructor pilot, aged 52, had approximately 800 hours of total flight time, including 330 hours of instructional flying. On the accident type, the instructor had about 100 hours, with 28 hours in the 2018 season. The instructor also held valid flight crew licenses and a Class 2 medical certificate.
Cause and Contributing Factors
The investigation identified the cause of the incident as the instructor's delayed reaction to the student pilot's error of initiating the flare too high. A contributing circumstance was the decision to conduct the training flight in deteriorating weather conditions.
Safety Actions
The operator discussed the incident with pilots conducting training and other glider flights during pre-flight briefings. No safety recommendations were issued by the investigating body.