Accident Overview
On 6 August 2024 at 14:02 UTC, a Schleicher ASW 15 glider with registration D-0747 experienced an accident near Gråskov in the Midtjylland region of Denmark. The aircraft was conducting a local competition flight under visual flight rules (VFR) from Arnborg (EKAB). No persons were injured.
Flight Details
During the cross-country portion of the flight, the pilot reported that the glider's altitude became too low due to a lack of thermal lift. This situation necessitated an off-field landing. The pilot assessed the available grass fields in the area as too short for a safe landing and instead selected a cornfield where the crop height was approximately 80 centimeters.
Damage
The landing in the cornfield resulted in damage to the glider. Specifically, a bracket for the elevator was destroyed, causing internal damage to the elevator control system.
Investigation
The Accident Investigation Board for Civil Aviation and Railways (Havarikommissionen) received notification of the accident from the pilot on 7 August 2024 at 08:29 UTC. Following an initial safety investigation, the board decided not to conduct further investigations, citing Article 5 of EU Regulation 996/2010 and Section 138 of the Danish Aviation Act. The safety investigation was closed with this statement.