What happened
On July 13, 2017, a pilot participating in the Safari 2017 gliding competition was conducting a thermal flight near Dobruška, Czech Republic. After approximately two hours of flight, the pilot was unable to locate rising air currents and decided to perform a field landing. The pilot identified a strip of short grass that appeared suitable from the air, noting that other nearby areas were occupied by tall crops.
During the approach, the pilot performed several turns to stabilize the flight path. The landing was conducted into the sun, which may have impaired visibility. As the SZD-4SB-1 Jantar Standard 2, registration OK-5259, descended, the right wing struck tall bushes located at the edge of the selected landing area. This impact caused the aircraft to veer off course and into an adjacent field of tall corn. The aircraft completed a rotation of approximately 200 degrees around its vertical axis before coming to a stop. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the flight parameters recorded by the onboard ERIXX GNSS flight recorder, the meteorological conditions, and the pilot's actions. The investigation established that the pilot had performed a reconnaissance of the landing site prior to the approach. The investigation also reviewed the physical damage to the aircraft, which included significant damage to the fuselage, wingtips, cockpit canopy, and tail surfaces.
Findings
- The selected landing area was unsuitable due to its narrow width, the presence of obstacles on both sides, and a descending terrain profile.
- The pilot was aware of the bushes at the edge of the landing strip but lost visual contact with them during the final phase of the landing because of a focus on the landing area ahead.
- The landing was performed into the sun, which likely caused glare and contributed to the loss of visual reference with the obstacles.
- The selection of an unsuitable landing site was the primary cause of the accident.