What happened
On June 26, 2020, a training flight was being conducted at the Kruszyna aerodrome using a KR-03 Puchatek glider, registration SP-3551. During a winch launch, the towline snapped at an altitude of approximately 130 m ALLO. After stabilizing the aircraft's speed and releasing the towline, the student pilot decided to perform a 180-degree turn to land with a following wind.
During the maneuver, the instructor took control of the glider to complete the landing. However, during the landing roll, the student pilot applied sudden and heavy left rudder input. This caused the glider to deviate from its landing path, resulting in the left wing striking the ground and the aircraft entering a ground loop. The incident resulted in damage to the metal tube of the left wing skid.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the towline failure and the subsequent control inputs during the landing phase. The commission examined the flight maneuvers and the transition of control between the student and the instructor.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the delayed reaction of the instructor to the student pilot's erroneous rudder input.
- The landing was performed with a following wind, which acted as a contributing factor to the difficulty of maintaining directional control.