Incident Description
On 22 May 2020, at the Aeroklub Pomorski airfield in Toruń (EPTO), a glider training flight was conducted using a winch launch. At 17:48 local time, the crew—an instructor and a student—were performing exercise II of the training syllabus, focusing on straight flight and turns. During the fourth turn of the standard traffic pattern, the instructor assumed control to execute a landing. After aligning with the final approach, he deployed the airbrakes, intending to touch down just beyond the threshold of runway 28R (grass).
In the final approach phase, the glider rapidly lost altitude and struck the asphalt edge of a taxiway with its tail skid, approximately 150 meters before the runway threshold. The impact caused the rudder to detach. The aircraft continued for about 170 meters, veering to the right, before coming to a stop.
Post-incident inspection revealed that the upper and lower rudder attachment points in the vertical stabilizer were broken, along with superficial damage to the paint on the rudder and elevator, and scratches near the tail skid. The glider was sent to a specialized workshop for repairs.
Cause
The investigation determined the cause to be an error by the instructor, who incorrectly assessed the landing conditions during the training flight.
Contributing Factor
A factor that may have contributed was landing into the sun, which could have hindered the instructor's perception of height.
Safety Actions
During the pre-flight briefing, the course and causes of the incident were discussed with all aviation personnel. No additional safety recommendations were issued.