What happened
On September 11, 2023, at approximately 18:55, a training glider flight was being conducted at Krosno airport (EPKR) as part of a school flight program organized by Aeroklub Podkarpacki. The flight, which utilized winch launching, was being performed by a student pilot on their ninth flight of the day. After releasing the towline, the pilot completed a standard circuit pattern.
During the final fourth of the turn, at an altitude of approximately 150 meters, the pilot began the landing approach. Upon reaching the straight-in leg, the pilot deployed the air brakes. This action caused the KR-03A Puchatek (registration SP-3493) to lose altitude rapidly. Although the instructor issued a radio command for the student to partially close the brakes, the student pilot responded incorrectly by deploying the air brakes fully. As a result, the glider undershot the runway, landing approximately 240 meters east of the threshold of runway 29.
The student pilot sustained serious injuries during the impact, while the aircraft remained undamaged.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the sequence of flight maneuvers and the pilot's response to instructor instructions during the final approach. The investigation established the specific deployment of aerodynamic brakes as the primary driver of the rapid descent.
Findings
- The primary cause of the event was a pilot error involving the full deployment of air brakes during the landing approach.
- The student pilot failed to follow the instructor's corrective radio instruction to reduce brake deployment.