What happened
On September 24, 2011, a student pilot was conducting their first solo flight in a Diamond HK36TTC motor glider at the St. Georgen/Ybbsfelde (LOLG) airfield. The flight mission involved performing takeoff and landing practice maneuvers using the auxiliary engine.
During the third landing attempt on runway 04, the pilot maintained an approach speed of approximately 60 to 70 KIAS to account for a prevailing headwind. While flying over the Ybbs River, the aircraft encountered some turbulence. The pilot executed a flare that was too high, resulting in a hard landing at the touchdown point. Immediately following the impact, the aircraft bounced back into the air.
While the pilot was processing the circumstances of the hard landing, the aircraft drifted to the left. The aircraft veered off the safety strip and the left wing struck an unharvested cornfield. The resulting impact caused significant damage to the cowling, propeller, landing gear, fuselage, and wings. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The Austrian SUB investigation established that the pilot held all necessary and valid licenses for the flight. The aircraft was properly registered and maintained, with no mechanical defects or pre-existing malfunctions identified as contributing to the accident. Meteorological conditions were analyzed, and weather factors were ruled out as a cause. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft's weight and center of gravity remained within permissible limits throughout the flight.