What happened
On July 14, 2023, a Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 glider, registration SP-4126, was participating in the Ostrów Glide competition (Junior World Pre-Championships in the Standard Class). The flight departed from Ostrów Wielkopolski (EPOM) at 12:54 LMT, with the pilot intending to complete a 311 km closed-circuit course. After beginning the flight at an altitude of approximately 1,750 m AGL, the pilot lost contact with thermal lift at approximately 15:05.
At a distance of roughly 800 m, the pilot selected a field near Roszków Pierwszy for an emergency landing. From this distance, no obstacles were visible on the approach. At an altitude of approximately 100 m, the pilot stabilized the glider on a straight path for landing. However, a drainage ditch was located at the edge of the chosen field, which went unnoticed during the approach. The glider landed beyond the ditch, but during the landing roll, the aircraft encountered an unseen depression in the terrain. This caused the tail to strike the ground, resulting in a broken tail boom and a cracked cockpit canopy.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the flight sequence, the terrain conditions at the landing site, and the pilot's decision-making process during the loss of lift. The investigation focused on the visibility of obstacles during the final approach and the pilot's maneuvers following the selection of the landing site.
Findings
- The pilot made the decision to land in the field too late.
- The pilot did not perform a low pass over the selected landing area to verify its suitability.
- The glider encountered an unseen depression in the ground during the landing roll.
- To maintain maximum cruising speed, the pilot had been bypassing weaker thermals without gaining altitude, which contributed to the eventual loss of lift.