Flight History
The incident occurred on 17 August 2024 at 11:36 UTC during a local school flight from Ejstruphede (EKVE). The student pilot was conducting their first flight in a single-seat glider. The landing was on runway 31. During the final approach, the student became surprised by the effectiveness of the airbrakes, resulting in periodic "dolphin flying". During the landing rollout, the glider briefly became airborne twice before the final touchdown. The glider rolled past a cluster of trees situated to the left of the runway.
A crosswind from the left affected the glider, causing it to turn left towards a parked glider. The student did not apply rudder input in time to steer clear. The student could not immediately locate the wheel brake handle, and the glider struck the parked glider at an estimated speed of 15–20 km/h. The incident occurred in daylight under visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
Damage
The glider sustained minor damage to its nose section. The parked glider suffered substantial damage to its fuselage and canopy around the wing attachment area.
Meteorological Information
The flight instructor observed wind conditions as 260° at 10 knots.
Supplementary Information
The student and the flight instructor assessed that the final approach sequence led to a mental overload of the student, which negatively affected the student's workload. The wheel brake handle on OY-XSD was mounted on the control stick. The student's previous gliding experience was on gliders where the wheel brake handle was mounted in the airbrake handle.
Investigation
The Danish Accident Investigation Board (Havarikommissionen) conducted an initial safety investigation. In accordance with Article 5 of EU Regulation 996/2010 and Section 138 of the Danish Aviation Act, the Board decided not to proceed with further investigation. The safety investigation was closed with this statement, referencing Article 16 of EU Regulation 996/2010 and Section 143 of the Danish Aviation Act.