What happened
On May 10, 2014, an L 13A Blaník glider, registration OK-2714, was performing a 120km sports triangle flight task near Havlíčkův Brod. During the flight, the pilot encountered strong westerly winds which prevented the aircraft from maintaining altitude while flying over the Švihov reservoir area.
Facing a loss of altitude, the pilot decided to perform a forced landing in a field near the village of Dolní Kral and realized the need to avoid high-voltage power lines. To avoid the wires, the pilot executed two turns at a very low altitude. During the landing approach, the pilot deployed flaps, but the aircraft touched down on a sloping terrain at a high speed of approximately 83 km/h.
Upon touchdown, the glider continued to travel across the field at high velocity. In an attempt to steer the aircraft away from a power line branch, the pilot attempted to decelerate using wheel braking and by pushing the nose down. However, the aircraft's momentum was too great to allow for a sufficient directional correction. The left wing of the glider subsequently struck a concrete utility pole, which brought the aircraft to an immediate halt. The pilot escaped the accident without injury.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the flight data recorded by a Colibri logger, which confirmed the flight duration and the high speed at touchdown. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the glider had undergone its most recent 'A' inspection just days prior to the accident. The physical condition of the aircraft was inspected, revealing damage to the leading edge of the left wing, deformation of the fuselage at the center section, and damage to the wing root attachments.
Findings
- The pilot misjudged the wind conditions and the suitability of the landing site due to an inaccurate assessment of wind direction using smoke from a nearby forest.
- The pilot's assessment of the landing conditions was incorrect, leading to a situation where the aircraft could not land into the wind as originally intended.
- The pilot failed to utilize a wing-tip drag maneuver (known as 'banking' or 'hodiny') to steer the aircraft, likely due to the high ground speed and the difficulty of maneuvering at low altitude.
- The high speed of the aircraft upon touchdown on sloping terrain made it difficult to stop the aircraft before it reached the utility pole.