What happened
On July 19, 2025, a glider flight was conducted at the Międzybrodzie Żywieckie airfield (EPZR). The pilot, who had recently obtained their license and possessed approximately 50 hours of flight experience, departed via aero-tow for a thermal flight. After initially climbing to approximately 1,200 m QFE near Czernichów, the pilot encountered cloud bases and began flying with the wind toward the northeast and southeast.
As the pilot attempted to locate new thermal columns, they began to lose altitude systematically. While near Ślemienie, at an altitude of approximately 700 m QFE (500 m AGL), the pilot decided to return to the airfield. Due to the presence of the Jaworzyna mountain range, a direct approach to the airfield was not possible; the pilot chose a route bypassing the massif to the south via Oczków and the Tresna dam. However, this route required additional altitude that was no longer available.
Unable to clear the terrain and having ruled out landing in the nearby forested or hilly areas, the pilot opted to land on the Soła river. An instructor from the local gliding school monitored the descent and provided guidance. At 12:08 LMT, the SZD-51-1 „Junior”, registration SP-3424, performed a water landing near a beach in Międzybrodzie Żywieckie. While the pilot escaped without injury and the airframe remained structurally intact, the aircraft was completely flooded, and the onboard instruments and radio were destroyed.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the flight path, the meteorological conditions, and the pilot's decision-making process. The investigation focused on the altitude management during thermal searching, the impact of wind direction on the return flight, and the geographical constraints imposed by the local mountain terrain.