Hard Landing of a PZL SZD-51-1 Junior Glider at Issoire Le Broc (F-CAJC)

Incident Overview On 27 July 2015 at approximately 15:20 local time, a PZL SZD-51-1 Junior glider, registration F-CAJC, operated by a club, made a hard landing at the Issoire Le Broc aerodrome in France. The aircraft was on a local solo training flight and was heavily damaged. ## Flight Sequence The pilot took off from runway 18 using a tow. After about thirty minutes of flight south and west of the Broc plateau, the pilot joined the left-hand traffic circuit for runway 18L. The glider entered a zone of strong turbulence caused by nearby terrain, leading to a rapid loss of altitude. The pilot shortened the circuit and approached the runway threshold at a high speed, as advised by the chief pilot due to the turbulence. ## Contributing Factors During the final approach, the glider encountered further strong turbulence generated by buildings west of the aerodrome. The pilot maintained a high speed and began the flare late. The glider struck the runway hard, bounced, and came to a stop. ## Meteorological Conditions The chief pilot reported winds from the west at 10 to 15 knots with gusts. The club president noted that with a westerly wind, the aerodrome is downwind of a hill, and the wind direction on the airfield can quickly shift from northwest to southwest, generating strong turbulence on final approach.