What happened
On July 27, 2020, during the Czech National Gliding Championships at Tábor Airport (LKTA), an LS8-18 sailplane, registration OK-0xb08, was performing a landing maneuver on runway 30. The pilot was completing a competitive flight lasting approximately 3 hours and 42 minutes.
As the pilot approached the runway, she was managing a landing sequence alongside approximately 13 other competing gliders. While focusing on maintaining separation and managing air brakes, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear. She realized the error at an altitude of only about 2 meters. In an attempt to manually extend the gear, the pilot briefly released the control stick with her right hand. Because the aircraft was configured with a heavy-nose weight distribution, this loss of control led to a sudden, steep descent. The lower fuselage struck the ground at an estimated speed of 90–100 km/h, causing extensive damage to the aircraft. The pilot sustained a fractured 12th thoracic vertebra and required hospitalization.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN examined the flight data from the aircraft's Flarm IGC recorder, which confirmed the descent profile and the timing of the critical phase. The investigation reviewed the pilot's extensive flight experience, the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, and the aircraft's maintenance records. Investigators also analyzed the pilot's workload, noting that she was managing a complex landing sequence involving multiple aircraft following a long period of high-intensity competition flying.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the loss of control over the sailplane during a high-speed descent at a very low altitude while attempting to extend the landing gear.
- The pilot's focus on the simultaneous landing of multiple gliders and the use of air brakes contributed to the oversight of the landing gear extension.
- The pilot's performance was likely degraded by fatigue resulting from the duration of the competitive flight.
- The aircraft's heavy-nose weight distribution exacerbated the sudden pitch-down moment when the control stick was released.
- Meteorological conditions were favorable (CAVOK) and did not contribute to the accident.