Incident Overview
A training flight in a L-13 Blanik glider (registration LY-GKN) ended with a forced landing in an unsafe field after the instructor lost altitude. The glider, manufactured on 7 September 1976 and belonging to the Panevėžys Aeroclub, sustained extensive damage and was deemed beyond repair. No one was injured.
Pilot Experience
The instructor, identified as Pilot A, had accumulated 1,390 flights totaling 887 hours, including 1,061 glider flights (853 hours) and 239 flights in a W-35 aircraft (34 hours). He had passed his instructor qualification practical exams and had flown regularly over the previous two years without significant incidents. The student, Pilot B, began training that summer and had completed her first zone flight on August 13.
Damage Assessment
The glider suffered the following damage:
- Deformed fuselage in the cockpit area near the landing gear.
- Left stabilizer and elevator torn off.
- Left wing attachment joint enlarged.
- Wing tip skin dented up to the aileron.
- Deformed center section structure and central fuselage skin.
- Left flap deformed.
- Tail strut broken.
- Right wing tip deformed.
The glider was not repairable.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the instructor overestimated his own abilities, failed to consider the possibility of sudden weather deterioration, and was unprepared. He subsequently lost altitude and was forced to land in an unsafe field selected from the air.
Contributing Factors
The report identified several deficiencies:
- The instructor's personal indiscipline and insufficient professional preparation for the specific flight situation.
- Inappropriate timing of training flights given unpredictable weather conditions.
- Inadequate level of flight organization.
Safety Recommendations
No specific recommendations were made in the source, but the findings highlight the need for thorough weather assessment and conservative decision-making during training flights.