Accident Overview
On 23 July 2019, at approximately 18:06 local time, a glider SZD-50-3 Puchacz, registration SP-3352, sustained substantial damage following a crash during a training flight at Piotrków Trybunalski Airport (EPPT). The aircraft was operated by Aeroklub Ziemi Piotrkowskiej. The flight was a basic training sortie for a student pilot, conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). The instructor and student both suffered serious injuries.
Sequence of Events
The glider was being launched by winch. The winch operator, upon hearing a signal that he interpreted as a prearranged abort command, reduced winch drum rotation and terminated the launch while the glider was at an estimated height of 20-30 meters. The student then released the towline. According to the instructor, he did not transmit the abort signal; radio interference from other aircraft in the circuit may have been misinterpreted by the winch operator. After the tension was lost, the glider initially continued to climb with the towline still attached, then it was released and the glider transitioned into a steep descent. Nearing the ground, the instructor pulled back on the control column, causing the glider to stall and enter the initial phase of a left spin. The glider struck the ground with its left wing, then the nose wheel and main landing gear, and rotated left before coming to a stop approximately 130 degrees left of the launch direction.
Crew Information
The instructor-pilot was an 81-year-old male holding a valid SPL license with instructor rating and winch launch endorsement. He had a total glider flight time of 1701 hours, including 1535 hours as pilot-in-command. From 14 July until the accident date, he flew 12 hours 29 minutes in 113 flights on the SZD-50-3 Puchacz. The student-pilot was a 15-year-old female undergoing basic winch-launch training. She had accumulated 37 flights totaling 4 hours 49 minutes with an instructor. Both crew members wore seat belts correctly. Toxicological tests showed no alcohol.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause was the delayed reaction of the instructor-pilot to the loss of winch tension.