What happened
On July 6, 1997, at approximately 15:30 local time, an L-13 Blanik glider, registration LY-GKJ, took off from the Panevėžys Aero Club aerodrome for local flight operations. The aircraft was performing maneuvers within the vicinity of the aerodrome.
At an altitude of approximately 400 meters, the pilot determined that the existing meteorological conditions prevented the continuation of the flight. While flying approximately 3 to 4 kilometers from the aerodrome at an altitude of about 250 meters, the pilot realized that returning to the aerodrome for landing was not feasible and decided to perform an out-of-field landing in a pre-selected clearing.
At an altitude of 200 meters, the pilot attempted to land into the wind at the end of the chosen site. During this maneuver, the glider encountered a strong downdraft, which prevented the aircraft from reaching the intended landing area, resulting in an accident.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path, meteorological conditions, and the physical state of the aircraft following the impact. The aircraft sustained significant structural damage, including a deformed upper centerplane spar, deformation of the left side of the centerplane, and damage to the centerplane leading-edge box. The left wing section was also noted to be bent backward.
There were no injuries to persons during the accident. The only third-party damage recorded was minor damage to a farmer's crops. The investigation confirmed that the pilot was wearing both the lap and shoulder safety belts at the time of the event.