L 33 Solo bounces and lands hard after the pilot closes airbrakes on an outlanding
Near Saupsdorf, a cross-country outlanding extended past a break in the slope ended in a bounce and a hard landing; the pilot of an L 33 Solo was unhurt, but the glider was substantially damaged. With no climb found short of the first turnpoint, the pilot chose a 900 m field whose first third rose. At about 30 m AGL he saw he would touch down on the upslope and partly closed the airbrakes to land beyond the break. The flare came late and at high speed, and the glider bounced at the edge of the slope. After a probably inappropriate control input the nose struck the ground, and the tail cone buckled and tore.
- Cross-country flight: The pilot was aerotowed from Česká Lípa at 11:53 for a cross-country task. Short of the first turnpoint, several attempts to climb, the last under cumulus, found no lift.
- Decides to land out at 648 m AGL: At about 648 m AGL he decided to land out and flew east to an area with more suitable fields.
- Circuit to a 900 m field: After an inspection turn at about 210 m AGL he flew a right-hand circuit to land east into a wind of about 32 km/h, holding about 120 km/h on final and using the airbrakes.
- Closes airbrakes at 30 m AGL: At about 30 m AGL he saw he would touch down on the upslope short of a break in the slope and partly closed the airbrakes to land beyond it, where the ground was flatter.
- Late flare at speed, bounce: The flare came late and at a higher speed, and the glider bounced on touchdown at the edge of the slope.
- Nose strike; pilot unhurt: After a probably inappropriate control input the underside of the nose struck the ground. The pilot was unhurt; the tail cone buckled and tore.