Incident Overview
On June 25, 2019, at 12:35 UTC, a single-seat VSO 10 glider with registration OK-8501 suffered an accident approximately two kilometers northwest of Orlické Záhoří. The aircraft was operated by Aeroklub Moravská Třebová, z.s. The investigation was conducted by the Institute for Professional Investigation of Causes of Aviation Accidents (ÚZPLN) in accordance with EU Regulation 996/2010 and Czech civil aviation laws.
Flight Details and Pilot Information
The pilot, an 18-year-old female holding a valid glider pilot license, was participating in a junior support project at Jaroměř Airfield. She was flying a 140 km task route that included waypoints such as Velká Deštná and Rokytnice v Orlických horách. At the time of the incident, she had accumulated 59 hours 11 minutes of total flight experience on gliders, with 8 hours 20 minutes specifically on the VSO 10 type.
Sequence of Events
After failing to re-enter a thermal updraft south of the Orlické Mountains ridge, the pilot initiated a visual turn over a meadow to prepare for a field landing. She approached from a heading of approximately 325 degrees at an altitude of about 100 meters AGL. Upon touchdown, she discovered a fence consisting of steel wire on low wooden posts that was obscured by tall grass. The glider's landing gear caught the wire, and the right wingtip struck one of the posts. This impact generated a rotational moment that spun the aircraft 180 degrees before it came to a stop.
Damage and Investigation Findings
The accident resulted in deformation of the rear fuselage cone, cracking of the cabin frame, and damage to the landing gear and left wing leading edge. The pilot was not injured, and a preliminary breath test by the police returned a negative result for alcohol. The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the glider catching an inconspicuous obstacle after touchdown during a field landing. No safety recommendations were issued by the investigating authority.