Factual Information
The glider, a Grob Flugzeugbau GmbH Standard Cirrus with registration OK-2999, was operated by Technické sporty Východní Morava, o.s. The accident occurred on July 7, 2013, at 10:58 UTC in a field approximately 1 km northeast of the village of Kaškovice. The pilot, a 23-year-old female, held a valid glider pilot license and a second-class medical certificate. Her total glider flight time was 125 hours 34 minutes, with 37 hours 37 minutes on the Standard Cirrus.
The glider was manufactured in 1973 (serial number 343G) and had a total airframe time of 4,176 hours 14 minutes. Its last annual inspection was performed on May 12, 2013, with the glider deemed airworthy.
Meteorological Conditions
At the time of the flight, a high-pressure system over the North Sea extended to the Czech Republic. Surface wind was from 300°–340° at 6–8 knots, and visibility exceeded 10 km. Skies were nearly clear with few cumulus clouds at 4,000–4,500 ft AGL. No turbulence was reported in SYNOP data. The pilot estimated wind from the north at 6–8 m/s.
Sequence of Events
The pilot departed from LKHD (Hodkovice airfield) for a thermal soaring flight. Shortly after takeoff, approximately 15 minutes into the flight, she decided to land in an open field due to thermal conditions and insufficient altitude to return to the airfield. She selected a gently sloping meadow with no obstacles in the approach path, located on the leeward side of a hill covered with mature forest.
After performing a reconnaissance turn, she set up a downwind leg and turned onto final approach, maintaining 110 km/h IAS and coordinating descent with airbrakes. At about 20 m AGL, the glider experienced a sudden loss of speed exceeding 40 km/h and a pronounced sinking. The pilot reacted by slightly pushing the control stick to prevent a stall. The glider made a hard landing on its main wheel and stopped after a short rollout.
The glider sustained no structural damage. The pilot felt back pain and was later diagnosed with a serious spinal injury at a specialized medical facility.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was the underestimation of the change of airflow speed when landing behind an obstacle.