L-13A Blaník catches a wing in rapeseed and lands hard on a practice field landing
On a practice field landing at Jičín, the pilot and instructor of an L-13A Blaník were unhurt, but the glider was substantially damaged when it caught a wing in tall rapeseed on a low final. The touchdown point lay just beyond the crop, which was up to 1.6 m tall. With the glider low about 150 m out, the instructor partly closed the airbrakes. About 2 m above the rapeseed the glider dropped in a gust; the left wing caught it, the glider yawed about 90° left and struck the grass hard, breaking the wing. The pilot had probably not realised the landing crossed an obstacle, and the instructor reacted late to the height loss.
- Practice field landing: The pilot and instructor were aerotowed from RWY 30 at Jičín at 13:22 to practise a field landing, with the touchdown point on the airfield grass near the threshold markings.
- Rapeseed up to 1.6 m tall: The fields bordering the airfield to the south and south-east carried rapeseed up to 1.6 m tall. The final approach, on about 350°, crossed it.
- Airbrakes partly closed, 150 m out: On final at about 80 km/h the pilot steepened the descent with the airbrakes. About 150 m from the touchdown point the glider was low, and the instructor partly closed them.
- Drop 2 m above the rapeseed: Just short of the airfield, about 2 m above the crop, the glider suddenly dropped in a gust and its left wing caught the rapeseed.
- Hard landing, left wing broken: The glider yawed about 90° left, struck the grass on its main wheel and slid sideways about 20 m. The left wing broke about 1 m from the tip; both were unhurt.