What happened
On June 6, 2014, an L-13A glider, registration OK-2800, was participating in a planned thermal flight from Hořice Aerodrome (LKHC). The flight began with a winch launch, following a Z-142 tow aircraft. After reaching an altitude of approximately 750 m AMSL, the pilot successfully released from the winch.
Following the release, the pilot searched for rising thermal currents but was unable to locate any. Consequently, the pilot decided to return to the departure aerodrome to land. During the approach to LKHC, the aircraft entered a descending air current, which caused a rapid loss of altitude. Due to the insufficient height remaining to reach the runway, the pilot executed an emergency landing in a nearby field characterized by tall, growing rapeseed.
During the landing maneuver, the aircraft' and the tall vegetation caused damage to the tail section of the glider. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation confirmed that both the aircraft and the pilot were airworthy and properly licensed at the time of the occurrence. The investigation established that the pilot's decision to land in the field was necessitated by the inability to reach the aerodrome or a more suitable landing area due to the loss of altitude in descending air.