What happened
On April 26, 2022, during the Flight Challenge Cup Gliding 2022 competition, a mid-air collision occurred between two gliders, registration SP-3688 and LY-GBI, while maneuvering in a shared thermal updraft. The accident took place at approximately 12:11 UTC near the peak of Končiar, above the village of Trebostovo in the Malá Fatra mountain range.
Both aircraft, SZD-48-3 Jantar Standard 3 models, were participating in the Club Class competition. The pilot of LY-GBI had joined a thermal updraft and was following another glider, which led to a situation where the aircraft were circling in close proximity. The pilot of SP-3688 was flying a similar path, attempting to maintain their position in the thermal. During the maneuvers, SP-3688 struck the tail section of LY-GBI from below. The impact caused severe structural damage to both aircraft, rendering them uncontrollable. Both gliders subsequently crashed into the forested mountain terrain. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight paths, the technical condition of the aircraft, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators analyzed flight data and FLARM (Flight Alarm) records to determine the relative positions of the aircraft. Technical inspections of the wreckage were conducted by AEROSPOOL to assess structural damage. The investigation also reviewed the pilots' qualifications and the meteorological conditions, including cloud base height and sunlight position.
Findings
- The collision between the two gliders was the immediate cause of the accident.
- The aircraft were in an improper relative position within the thermal, placing them outside the pilots' field of view.
- The pilot of SP-3088 likely could not see LY-GBI because the latter was positioned in a blind spot, partially obscured by the aircraft's own fuselage.
- Visibility may have been further compromised by the proximity of the cloud base (1,500–2,000 m) and the position of the sun.
- While FLARM systems were equipped on both aircraft, the investigation found that the pilot of SP-3688 did not receive any collision alerts prior to the impact.
- Technical inspections ruled out any mechanical or structural failure of either aircraft as a contributing factor.
- Both pilots were highly experienced and were performing emergency egress procedures (attempting to use parachutes) following the collision, but the low altitude prevented a safe recovery.