Overview
On 4 July 2025, a SZD-48-3 'Jantar Std. 3' glider, registration SP-3329, was involved in an accident near Trutnov, Czech Republic. The glider was being flown by pilot SPL during a glider competition. The aircraft sustained serious damage, but the pilot reported no injuries.
Sequence of Events
After departing from LKDK (Dvur Kralove nad Labem), the pilot was conducting a cross-country flight as part of a glider competition. The route proceeded northwest toward Liberec, then southeast along the southern slopes of the Krkonoše Mountains. Shortly before 14:00 local time, the pilot found himself near Trutnov at a low altitude with no thermal lift. Unable to return to LKDK, he selected a large but uneven field for landing at approximately 550 m AGL.
He overflew the field at about 400 m, then circled to the northeast side. While on the downwind leg at approximately 300 m AGL, instead of establishing a proper final approach, he performed three 180-degree turns (S-turns) starting at 200 m AGL. During these turns, the glider's speed varied between 96 and 148 km/h. The turns ended at about 50 m AGL with an indicated airspeed of 143 km/h and a high descent rate exceeding 10 m/s. The final flight path curved to the left until ground contact.
The approach lacked necessary elements such as established final approach direction, glide path angle, speed reduction, and crab elimination. The landing likely lacked proper flare and sufficient round-out. The glider touched down hard at excessive speed with a crab, causing a bounce followed by another hard touchdown. The crab and probable lateral imbalance resulted in the wingtip striking the grass, leading to an uncontrolled ground loop. Additionally, in the final phase, the glider flew under a power line that the pilot had not previously noticed.
Causes
The investigation identified several causes: 1. Improper construction of the landing maneuver, consisting of performing turns in the zone and space where the glider should have been on final approach. 2. Lack of airspeed control by the pilot: numerous and abrupt changes in the glide angle in the immediate approach area. 3. Hard touchdown at excessive speed, likely with a crab. 4. Landing in hilly terrain on an uneven field, which may have hindered approach planning.
Preventive Actions
The investigating body recommended the following preventive actions, accepted by the commission:
- The organization's head of training decided the pilot required retraining: 10 flights with an instructor to practice/simulate landings in confined terrain, followed by 5 solo landings under instructor supervision.
- Before the cross-country season, pilots intending to fly cross-country must complete at least 3 simulated confined-area landings with an instructor and at least 5 supervised solo landings on the glider type they plan to use.
Commentary
The commission noted that the accident occurred outside Polish territory; mandatory reporting to the state of occurrence (Czech Republic) did not take place, as the competition organizer likely had no knowledge, though the pilot reported to PKBWL. The commission emphasized best practices for off-field landings, including selecting a field from an altitude allowing a complete landing maneuver, avoiding turns away from the field, and not maneuvering below 300 m AGL except for landing preparation.