What happened
On August 17, 2014, a PZL-Bielsko SZD-51-1 “Junior” glider, registration JA2549, was performing a familiarization flight at the Fujikawa Gliding Field in Shizuoka Prefecture. The flight, operated by the Shizuoka Prefecture Aeronautic Association, was being towed by an airplane when the pilot began the final approach at approximately 12:00 JST.
During the approach, the pilot executed a forward slip maneuver at an altitude of 150 meters to manage the descent. After completing the slip, the pilot leveled the wings to realign the aircraft with the runway. However, during this phase, the aircraft experienced a significant increase in its rate of descent. The pilot attempted to correct the descent by closing the air brakes and performing a pitch-up maneuver before touchdown, but the aircraft failed to reach the runway threshold.
The glider ultimately undershot the runway, touching down in a field approximately 130 meters short of the threshold. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage, and the left wing struck a small barn, damaging its leading edge. No injuries were reported.