What happened
On June 6, 2021, a pilot was conducting a cross-country flight route consisting of Liberec – Černá hora – Děčín – Vrchlabí – Liberec. While flying the segment between Černá hora and Děčín, near Cvikov, the pilot observed deteriorating cloud conditions. Determining that the weather was no longer suitable to continue the planned flight, the pilot decided to return to Liberec.
At an altitude of approximately 700 m QNH, the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing in a field located about 10 km west of Libere and near the village of Zdislava. The pilot selected a meadow measuring approximately 1000 x 300 meters for the landing. During the landing flare, the left wing of the Glasflügel G-304 CZ caught on tall grass. This contact caused the aircraft to rotate 180 degrees to the left before coming to a halt. The impact resulted in a broken fuselage and damage to the tail unit.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the pilot's testimony, aircraft documentation, and the physical wreckage. The investigation established that the pilot was experienced, held valid medical and flight qualifications, and had performed a breathalyzer test at the scene with a negative result. The aircraft was found to be in a technically sound condition, and the weather conditions at the time of the landing were not a contributing factor to the accident.
Findings
- The pilot selected a landing site from an altitude of approximately 300 m AGL, which made it impossible to visually determine the height of the vegetation.
- The landing area contained grass approximately 30–40 cm in height.
- The primary cause of the accident was the inappropriate selection of the landing site, as the tall grass caused the left wing to snag, leading to the loss of control and subsequent structural damage to the Glasflügel G-304 CZ.