Incident Overview
On April 22, 2019, a two-seat SZD-50-3 "Puchacz" glider manufactured by PZL-Bielsko-Biala (serial number B-1335) was involved in an accident near the special landing site Schwarzheide (EDBZ) in Germany. The aircraft, built in 1983 and owned by a club, crashed into a pine forest approximately two kilometers northwest of the airfield. Both occupants, the pilot and a passenger, sustained serious injuries and were rescued from the wreckage. The glider was destroyed, resulting in minor damage to the surrounding terrain.
Flight Sequence and Investigation
The flight began at 11:35 local time with an aerotow launch for a cross-country mission. After releasing over Senftenberg, the pilot attempted to gain altitude using thermal updrafts. GPS data indicated the aircraft reached a maximum height of approximately 1,000 meters above ground level north of the airfield. The flight path subsequently included legs toward Lauchhammer and back toward Schwarzheide. At 12:15, the recorded data ended at an altitude of 80 meters with a sink rate exceeding 6 m/s.
Aircraft Condition and Cause
The investigation, conducted by the German Federal Aviation Accident Investigation Agency (BFU) under case number BFU19-0391-3X, concluded that no technical defects were present in the aircraft. The report was summarized pursuant to § 18 FlUUG, focusing solely on factual findings without assigning liability or determining specific human error causes.