Accident with an aircraft type GROB-ASTIR CS Jeans at Snogarp, Skåne County

Summary in English

During soaring from Sjöbo-Sövde Airport, an unexpected strong wind at altitude prevented the pilot from returning to the take-off airport.

The pilot therefore prepared to make an out-landing. The pilot selected a field with an unfavorable wind direction and limited space. Additionally, the landing field sloped down­ward in the landing direction.

The landing was made in a tailwind at high speed, which resulted in a hard landing and a long braking distance, despite fully deployed airbrakes. The glider bounced, veered and subsequently collided with a fence belonging to a horse paddock. The aircraft sustained structural damage, and the pilot suffered minor injuries caused by shards from the shattered canopy.

The aircraft was airworthy with no technical defects. The pilot was certified but had limited experience, particularly with unplanned out-landings.

Causes of the accident

The accident was caused by a misjudgment of the conditions for a safe out-landing. This resulted in a tight circuit under unfavorable circumstances, with both tailwind and excessive altitude. Upon reaching short final, the limited space and the terrain beyond the field left the pilot with no other option but to deliberately push the aircraft down in order to stop before the obstacles.

A contributing factor was the pilot's limited experience with out-landings.

Safety recommendations

None.