What happened
On May 22, 2020, a student pilot was conducting glider training at the Piła aerodrome (EPPI). The session, supervised by an instructor, included four initial flights with the instructor to prepare the student for solo operations. Following a briefing regarding favorable weather conditions, the student proceeded to perform two solo circuits under ground-based supervision.
During the second solo circuit, the flight proceeded normally through the first two turns. While executing the third turn at an altitude of approximately 180–200 meters above the aerodrome, the student maintained stable flight. During the fourth turn, the airspeed was recorded between 125 and 130 km/h. Upon reaching the straight section, the student reported "straight to runway 03" via radio and released the control stick to stabilize the speed at approximately 120–125 km/h, subsequently deploying full air brakes.
After a short period, the student perceived the descent path as too steep and feared an undershoot, leading them to slightly reduce the air brake deployment. This action resulted in a speed drop to approximately 110 km/h. In an attempt to increase the speed back to 115–120 km/h, the student applied slight forward pressure on the control stick. This maneuver caused the Twin Astir Trainer to enter an unexpected dive. Although the student attempted to recover by pulling back on the stick, the aircraft struck the grass surface with its main wheel approximately 100 meters before the threshold of runway 03. The glider bounced to an altitude of 5–7 meters and maintained enough energy to travel another 100 meters to the intended touchdown point, where a normal landing was completed.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the final report provided by the Aeroklub Ziemi Pilskiej. The investigation focused on the flight sequence, the student's control inputs during the approach, and the resulting impact with the terrain.