VSO 10 lands hard on a slope after the pilot loses sight of the runway in a storm

After losing sight of the ground in a thunderstorm downpour on the circuit at Hodkovice, the pilot of an Orličan VSO 10 was seriously injured; the glider was destroyed on a slope outside the airfield. The pilot had been on a local thermal flight and flew straight back at speed to land before the storm rather than land out. When the ground reappeared after the turn onto final, the glider had drifted beyond the field's western edge, where the ground drops away. Making no headway against the strong wind, it sank below the crest. The pilot flared to land on the steep slope; the tail struck first, then the glider hit the ground flat.

1. Local thermal flight: The pilot was aerotowed from Hodkovice at 12:17, released at about 500 m above the airfield and thermalled up to about 1,500 m AGL north-west of it.
2. Thunderstorm builds east of field: Dark cloud formed east of the airfield. A storm cell became active there shortly after 13:00 and moved west, passing directly over the field.
3. Return to beat the storm: Due to hand the glider over, the pilot was considering a return. On hearing the field's weather called menacing on the radio, the pilot flew straight back at speed to land before the storm.
4. Ground lost from sight in downpour: On the downwind leg at about 400 m AGL the glider was in a heavy shower. Turning high onto final for RWY 19, the pilot lost visual contact with the ground in torrential rain.
5. Drift off the airfield: When the ground reappeared, the glider was beyond the western edge of the airfield. Against the strong headwind it sank without making progress over the ground.
6. Landing attempt on the slope: The pilot aimed to cross a cleared strip in the trees back to the runway. When the glider sank below the crest, the pilot pulled up to attempt a touchdown on the steep grass slope.
7. Pilot seriously injured: The tail struck about half-way down the slope; the glider then hit the ground flat, nose up the slope, about 18 m further on. It was not repairable.