What happened
On October 31, 2014, a student pilot was conducting solo flight training at the Spitzerberg airfield in Lower Austria. After completing two winch launches, the pilot began the eighth solo flight of their training in an Alexander Schleicher K8B glider. During the landing phase, the pilot observed another aircraft parked on the intended landing strip, approximately 170 meters north of the centerline of runway 33.
To avoid the parked aircraft, the pilot decided to extend the base leg to move further north. During this maneuver, the flight instructor, who was monitoring the flight from the control tower via radio, observed that the approach was becoming too low. The instructor instructed the pilot to retract the spoilers. Although the pilot complied with the instruction, the aircraft's descent rate had already been significantly impacted, resulting in a touchdown outside the airfield boundaries. The glider subsequently collided with a shrub located approximately 230 meters northeast of the runway threshold, causing heavy damage to the right wing.
The investigation
The Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Board (SUB) reconstructed the event using eyewitness accounts from the student pilot and the instructor, as well as physical evidence from the wreckage. The investigation examined the pilot's training history, the aircraft's maintenance and weight/balance records, and the prevailing meteorological conditions. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's weight and center of gravity were within permissible limits and that there were no mechanical failures or pre-existing technical defects in the K8B.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an incorrect estimation of the aircraft's glide angle.
- The premature deployment of the spoilers led to a significant reduction in glide performance, making the low approach unsustainable.
- The pilot's flight experience on this specific aircraft type was limited, with only 59 minutes of flight time accumulated on the K8B.
- The pilot's approach planning was inadequate for the required maneuver to avoid the parked aircraft.