Incident Overview
On 4 June 2023, at Piotrków Trybunalski airport (EPPT), glider flights with a winch and parachute jumps from a dropping aircraft were conducted simultaneously. Due to wind direction, parachutists were dropped east of the airport, in the traffic pattern area, opening their parachutes at approximately 3000 ft AGL.
A glider SZD-50-3 "Puchacz" (registration SP-3484) departed from runway 03 behind the winch. After release, the glider pilot began circling near the end of the runway. Shortly after, the pilot of the dropping aircraft transmitted a position report ("on final to drop"). Per established procedure, all aircraft were required to immediately vacate the parachute opening area upon hearing such a call.
The glider pilot stated that he did not hear any transmissions about the jump. He continued centering a thermal. The jump master then urged the glider pilot via radio to immediately leave the drop zone and instructed him to land. At that moment, the glider pilot looked around and noticed parachutists approximately 200 m away. He joined the left-hand circuit for runway 03 and landed without any consequences.
Causes
The investigation identified two causes of the incident: 1) The glider pilot's lack of reaction to radio communications from the dropping aircraft pilot and the jump master regarding the imminent parachute drop. 2) The glider pilot's incorrect allocation of attention, leading to excessive concentration while centering a thermal and a delayed departure from the parachutists' descent area.
Preventive Actions
The flight organizer subsequently implemented the following measures: 1) Individual training for the glider pilot on procedures for mixed glider and parachute operations at EPPT. 2) During glider pilot training, the organizer will require trainees to correctly assess air traffic around the airport and avoid collision situations. 3) During combined operations, the presence of a glider instructor at the launch point will be mandatory.
No safety recommendations were issued by the commission.