What happened
On May 20, 2016, during a glider towing competition at Jena-Schöngleina airfield, a PZL-101A Gawron crashed into a dense forest near Rodigast. The aircraft was performing its eighth towing flight of the day.
An eyewitness, piloting another aircraft, observed the PZL-101A Gawron at an altitude of approximately 200 to 300 meters while on a descending path. The observer noted that the aircraft exhibited a steady increase in both right bank and longitudinal pitch without any corrective movements, eventually plunging nearly vertically into the woodland. The impact occurred at approximately 12:24 PM. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BFU examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. Technical inspections of the aircraft revealed no mechanical failures or technical defects. The investigation also included a medical examination of the pilot. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be severe polytrauma. Toxicology reports were negative for drugs, medication, and alcohol. While the investigation considered the possibility of heat exhaustion due to high cockpit temperatures, no morphological evidence of such a condition was found.
Prior to the accident, the pilot had expressed difficulty managing the cockpit heat during a previous flight on May 18, noting an inability to locate the heater control lever. However, the components of the heating system could not be identified during the wreckage examination due to the high degree of destruction.