Incident Overview
On December 31, 2018, at 13:10 UTC, an Evektor Aerotechnik L-13 SE Vivat motor glider with registration OK-6110 experienced a serious accident at Tábor Airport (LKTA) in the Czech Republic. The aircraft was operated by Aeroklub ČR, z. s., and was conducting a flight in the local traffic pattern when the incident occurred.
Sequence of Events
The pilot, an 81-year-old male holding a valid glider pilot license with motor glider qualifications, reported that the engine failed after the third turn of the circuit following a reduction to idle power. Despite the engine failure, the pilot continued the approach for a landing without thrust. During the descent, the pilot admitted to losing airspeed due to inattention while adjusting control positions. This resulted in a stall and a steep increase in vertical descent rate. Due to low altitude, the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft's attitude before impact.
Impact and Damage
The motor glider made a hard contact with Runway 34. Upon initial impact, the aircraft bounced approximately four meters before striking the grass surface again. The subsequent heavy landing caused significant structural damage, including deformation of the wing spars, damage to the retractable landing gear, and destruction of the propeller. The pilot exited the aircraft independently but was transported to a hospital for treatment of a broken right forearm.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the accident resulted from the pilot's loss of airspeed during the approach following an engine failure. The aircraft sustained damage deemed irreparable by the operator, leading to its write-off. No fire occurred, and no other persons were injured.