What happened
On June 1, 2019, a GLASFLÜGEL 304 MS motor glider, registration D-KAMJ, was performing a local flight at the Fuentemilanos aerodrome in Segovia, Spain. After approximately three hours and fifteen minutes of flight, the pilot was completing the landing circuit for runway 34. During the approach, the aircraft experienced a continuous loss of altitude.
To manage the descent, the pilot performed a 360-degree turn, but the aircraft continued to lose height, dropping from approximately 235 meters to 100 meters above the ground. Realizing there was insufficient altitude to complete the standard base and final legs, the pilot executed a 180-degree turn to align with the runway. This maneuver resulted in a high vertical descent rate and high ground speed. The aircraft impacted the ground on a dirt area approximately 10 meters from the paved runway. The impact caused the main landing gear to collapse, the aircraft to slide 20 meters while rotating clockwise, and damage to the wingtip wheels and fuselage. The single pilot on board was uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the aircraft's flight data via its onboard GPS, which recorded the trajectory, altitude, and speed. Analysis of the GPS data confirmed a continuous decrease in altitude during the final minutes of the flight. The investigation noted that at 16:08:09 h, the vertical descent rate reached 4 m/s. Furthermore, in the four seconds preceding impact, the ground speed dropped rapidly from 90 km/h to 52 km/h, indicating a sharp pitch-up maneuver (recogida) attempted by the pilot to reduce speed.
Physical examination of the GLASFLÜGEL 304 MS revealed that the main landing gear structure had deformed, the tailwheel was bent, and the wingtip wheels were broken due to the impact with the terrain. The control surfaces and fuselage structure were found to be in good working order, with no mechanical failures identified.
Findings
- The pilot's documentation and the aircraft's airworthiness certificates were valid at the time of the accident.
- The aircraft did not align with the runway centerline, impacting the unpaved area adjacent to the runway.
- The inadequate execution of the approach and landing maneuver led to an off-runway touchdown at excessive vertical speed.