Accident Overview
On 16 June 2019 at approximately 11:23 UTC, a SZD-48.1M Jantar Std 2M glider, registration SP-3887, operated by a private individual under the Aeroklub Ziemi Jarosławskiej, crashed in Szczury near Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland. The accident occurred during the second competition of the Ostrów Glide in the Club A class. The pilot, a 50-year-old male with a glider pilot license (SPL) and over 500 hours of glider flight time, died at the scene.
Flight Sequence
The glider departed from Michałków airfield (EPOM) at 10:32 UTC for the competition flight. After release at about 640 m AGL north of the airfield, the pilot flew northwest. During the flight, the glider climbed in thermals but gradually lost the ability to return to the airfield. At an altitude of 284 m, the pilot briefly extended the landing gear, then retracted it, indicating indecision about landing in unprepared terrain. Subsequently, at 255 m, the glider turned right, then left, as the pilot searched for a suitable field. During a low-altitude right turn, the glider stalled and entered a spin. The aircraft struck the ground nearly vertically, with the left wing hitting first, followed by the forward fuselage and right wing. The tail boom broke behind the wings.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot delayed the decision to perform an off-field landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's attempt to regain altitude at any cost, as landing in unprepared terrain would have prevented him from dismantling, transporting, reassembling, and relaunching the glider for the competition. The glider's characteristics during stall in a turn—lack of warning buffet and increased stall speed—were also noted as factors.
Probable Cause
The pilot's decision to perform landing in unprepared terrain was made too late.