Slovenian glider accident on 3 May 2008 (S5-3110)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 3 May 2008, a LAK-12 glider with registration S5-3110 was involved in an accident in Slovenia. The aircraft was manufactured by Akcine Bendrove Sportine Aviacija in Prienai, Lithuania, and was built in 1995. It was owned and operated by Aeroklub Edvard Rusjan Nova Gorica. The glider had a total time of 836 hours and 55 minutes before the accident. ## Flight Sequence and Accident The pilot, a male born in 1957, took off from Ajdovščina airfield at 10:05 UTC for an afternoon cross-country flight. After flying for 5 hours and 14 minutes, the pilot encountered rain near Šempas. Although the flight computer indicated sufficient reserve to reach the airfield, the pilot later realized near Skrilj that the airfield could not be reached. The pilot attempted to land on a grassy area between the Nova Gorica–Ajdovščina highway and the railway line. At 15:19 UTC, approximately 200 meters before the grassy area, the pilot spotted a roadside pole at low altitude. Despite a maneuver, the right wing struck the pole, causing the aircraft to spin right. The left wing then hit anti-glare elements on the highway median barrier before the glider impacted the ground. ## Damage and Injuries The glider sustained 100% damage, including the nose structure, cockpit, control mechanisms, wings, and tail surfaces. The roadside pole and anti-glare elements on the highway barrier were also damaged. The pilot was not injured and exited the aircraft unassisted. ## Meteorological Conditions On the day of the accident, cumulus clouds with bases between 1,500 and 2,000 meters and tops between 3 and 4 kilometers were present. A convective cloud over Ajdovščina produced moderate rain showers. Winds in the Vipava Valley initially blew from the west at 5 knots with gusts to 10 knots, later shifting east with gusts up to 20 knots.