Introduction
On 18 July 2019, two SZD-30 Pirat gliders collided in the vicinity of Palikije, approximately 6 km west of Radawiec airfield. The gliders were operated by the Lubelski Aeroclub and were conducting solo training flights. The weather conditions were suitable for thermal soaring.
Sequence of Events
Both gliders launched via winch from runway 29 of Radawiec airfield. The first glider, Pirat-14 (registration SP-2914, also referred to as SP-3914 in some parts of the report), launched at 12:03 local time and released the winch cable at 550 m above ground. The second glider, Pirat-52 (SP-3652), launched at 12:11 and released at 680 m. After release, both gliders found thermal lift and were circling in the same thermal south of the airfield at about 800 m. The student pilot of Pirat-52 reported that Pirat-14 cut across her flight path. She attempted to call the other pilot by mobile phone but received no answer, so she left the thermal. Around 13:00, due to traffic from Lublin airport, all gliders were instructed to move to area D. Both Pirat gliders headed towards that area. The pilot of Pirat-52 stated she was flying a steady course at about 100 km/h. The pilot of Pirat-14 initially said they were both circling in a thermal, but later stated he saw a glider approaching from the left. A collision occurred at approximately 13:36 at an altitude of 1100 m above ground over Palikije.
Injuries and Damage
The collision forced the pilot of Pirat-52 to bail out using her parachute. She sustained serious injuries during the egress. The parachute opened normally. Pirat-52 was destroyed. Pirat-14 landed safely at the airfield.
Probable Cause
The investigation concluded that the most probable cause of the accident was the failure of Student-1 (on Pirat SP-2914) to maintain sufficient caution and the minimum distance from the other glider in front.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL). No safety recommendations were proposed.