Factual Information
On 19 July 2017, at 13:33 UTC, a VSO-10 glider registered OK-1500 sustained damage during a field landing approximately 120 meters northwest of the settlement of Bednářovna in the Jihlava region. The pilot, a 20-year-old female with a valid glider pilot license and medical certificate, was participating in the Czech Republic Junior Gliding Championship organized by the Aeroclub of the Czech Republic at Jihlava Airport (LKJI). She had a total of 103 hours and 12 minutes of gliding experience, with 23 hours and 46 minutes on the VSO-10 type.
The glider was manufactured by Orličan n. p. in 1981, with serial number 150029. Its total flight time was 2,921 hours and 9 minutes, and it had last undergone an annual inspection on 7 April 2017, which certified it as airworthy. The aircraft was equipped with a flight data recording device.
Flight Sequence
The pilot took off at 11:36 UTC via aerotow. The assigned task was a two-hour cross-country route (LKJI – Luka – Dačice – Mladá Vožice – Nové Veselí – LKJI) with three sectors. After passing the second sector, approximately 17 km west of LKJI, the pilot encountered thunderstorms closing in from both sides. Due to the weather conditions and altitude, she decided to perform a precautionary landing in terrain.
She selected a suitable field and executed an approach into wind. After turning onto final approach, the flight became turbulent, and a strong gust of wind caused the glider to gain excess altitude. She maintained an indicated airspeed of 100–110 km/h during the descent. Realizing the approach was too long, she decided to extend to an adjacent field, which ended at a road with an embankment. During the final stage of the landing, the glider lacked sufficient energy and speed to clear the embankment. It struck the embankment, bounced, and then made a hard touchdown in the next field, which was covered with tall potato plants.
Meteorological Conditions
According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the area was influenced by a trough of low pressure, with cumuliform clouds developing into towering cumulus and cumulonimbus. Surface wind was from 140–230° at 8–14 knots, with occasional gusts of 20–30 knots. In the vicinity of the landing site, the wind was from 260° at 4 km/h. Visibility was over 10 km, reduced in precipitation. The cloud base of cumulus was at 5,000 ft AGL, and cumulonimbus at 3,500–4,000 ft AGL. Thunderstorm cells were present in the area.
Damage
The glider sustained structural damage to the tail and forward fuselage, including rupture of the composite shell on the right side. The fixed windscreen and hinged canopy cover were destroyed, the protective canopy arch was torn off, the cockpit floor was separated, and the fuselage bulkheads under the floor were damaged. The right landing gear door was destroyed. No damage occurred to the landowner's property.
Post-Accident Actions
The pilot reported the event to the competition organizer by phone. A police patrol conducted a breathalyzer test, which returned a negative result. The glider was later transported to Hořice Airport (LKHC) for detailed inspection.