What happened
On June 17, 2019, at Warsaw Babice (EPBC) airport, a student pilot initiated a winch launch in an SZD-51-1 Junior, registration SP-3303. During the steep climb, at an altitude of approximately 150 meters, the pilot experienced a perceived drop in winch tension. Misinterpreting this as a loss of tension or a cable break, the pilot pushed the control stick forward, transitioning the glider from a climb to level flight while the winch was still actively pulling.
Because the pilot had failed to apply a necessary correction for the prevailing crosswind, the glider had drifted off the centerline of the winch path. As the winch operator reduced drum speed to prepare for release, the shock absorber of the cable deployed. The glider's right wing subsequently struck the moving cable. This impact caused the aircraft to rotate approximately 160 degrees around its vertical axis and lose significant airspeed. After the cable was successfully released, the pilot regained control and performed a landing on the runway without further incident.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation examined the flight history, meteorological data, and the pilot's training records. The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the launch phase and the impact of wind conditions on the aircraft's trajectory. The commission also reviewed the technical state of the SZD-51-1 Junior and the winch operator's actions during the tension reduction.