What happened
On July 27, 2015, at approximately 15:20 local time, a student pilot was conducting a solo local flight in an Allstar PZL SZD-51-1 Junior glider, registration F-CAJC, at the Issoire Le Broc airfield. The flight began with a towed takeoff from runway 18. After approximately thirty minutes of flight maneuvering south and west of the Le Broc plateau, the pilot rejoined the left-hand traffic pattern for runway 18L.
During the approach, the aircraft encountered significant turbulence while positioned leeward of nearby terrain, resulting in a rapid loss of altitude. In response, the pilot shortened the pattern and converged toward the runway threshold while maintaining a high airspeed. As the aircraft reached the final approach, it encountered further intense turbulence caused by wind interacting with buildings located to the west of the airfield. Despite maintaining a high speed, the pilot initiated the flare late, leading to a hard touchdown. The glider bounced upon impact before coming to a stop on the unpaved runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the flight path taken during the approach. Investigators reviewed statements from the pilot, the chief pilot, and the club president. The investigation established that the airfield was experiencing a western wind of 10 to 15 knots with gusts. The club president noted that under western wind conditions, the airfield sits leeward of a hill, which can cause wind direction to shift rapidly between the northwest and southwest, generating heavy turbulence on final approach.