What happened
On July 9, 2011, a pilot was participating in the National Glider Championship in Niederöblarn, Austria. While conducting a cross-country flight via St. Johann im Pongau, Vordernberg, and Gröbming, the pilot realized that the aircraft's altitude was insufficient to safely return to the Niederöblarn airfield. Consequently, the pilot decided to perform a forced landing on a nearby meadow, a site they had scouted for emergency use the previous day.
The landing sequence began with the tailwheel making contact with the ground, followed by a hard touchdown on the main landing gear. The aircraft briefly bounced before settling again approximately 10 meters further along the field. During this second contact, the right wing struck a ground undulation approximately 50 cm in height. The impact caused the right wing to fail, breaking approximately 2 meters from the wingtip, and resulted in damage to the fuselage pod. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The Austrian SUB examined the flight sequence, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation confirmed that the pilot held all necessary and valid licenses and possessed sufficient flight experience. The aircraft, an ASW 27, was found to be properly registered, insured, and maintained, with no evidence of mechanical failure or pre-existing defects. Meteorological data indicated that weather conditions were not a contributing factor to the accident. The investigation also noted that the pilot had performed the necessary flight preparations in accordance with regulations.