Incident Overview
On May 25, 2014, at 14:13 UTC, a VSO-10 glider registered as OK-3514 crashed approximately 460 meters northeast of the threshold of Runway 23 at Mladá Boleslav (LKMB). The aircraft was operated by Aeroklub Česká Lípa o. s. and was participating in the Gradient & CLUB Grand Prix 2014 competition. The pilot, a 45-year-old male with valid qualifications, was not injured in the accident, but the glider was destroyed upon impact.
Flight Sequence and Cause
The pilot had completed the competition course and was entering the traffic pattern for landing on Runway 23. While in the downwind position, the pilot attempted to deploy the landing gear but encountered mechanical difficulties with the handle. This distraction caused the pilot to lose situational awareness regarding altitude and position. The glider descended from approximately 52 meters AGL to 25 meters AGL over a period of about 40 seconds.
During the turn for the final approach, the right wing struck a 23.15-meter-high metal pole located in a nearby scrapyard area at an altitude of 20.3 meters AGL. The impact caused the right wing to tear off and the aircraft to enter a rotation, crashing into parked vehicles. The pilot stated that he did not see the pole due to his focus on the gear issue and the turn.
Aircraft and Environmental Conditions
The VSO-10 is a single-seat, high-wing glider with a retractable landing gear. It had 1,856 hours of total time and was certified for service following an inspection in April 2014. Weather conditions at the time were clear with light variable winds and good visibility. The investigation concluded that the pilot was qualified and the aircraft was airworthy prior to the incident.