What happened
On August 14, 2011, a towing operation commenced at Schönebeck-Zackmünde airfield using a PLZ-104 Wilga 35 and an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider. The takeoff roll on grass runway 25 proceeded normally according to eyewitnesses. However, after the PLZ-104 Wilga 35 became airborne, the aircraft began to develop an increasing rightward bank.
In response to the developing instability, the glider pilot released the tow rope. The Puchacz glider landed approximately 108 meters before the end of the runway, overrunning the runway threshold by about 50 meters and coming to rest in a field. The glider and its two occupants remained unharmed.
Following the release of the glider, the rightward bank of the PLZ-1able Wilga 35 intensified, leading the aircraft into a side-slip. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground heavily, impacting the earth 63 meters before reaching its final resting position. The pilot of the tow aircraft sustained one serious injury but managed to extricate himself from the destroyed wreckage.
The investigation
The BFU examined the wreckage and the flight sequence. The investigation noted that the aircraft's fuselage had separated at the landing gear attachment point, just below the front seats. Significant components, including the engine, propeller, instrument panel, and control columns, were found displaced under the right wing. The investigation also identified a 1.70-meter-long furrow in the ground caused by the impact. Meteorological data confirmed favorable conditions with visibility over 10 km and light winds.