VSO 10 strikes trees after the pilot turns into lee rotor behind the crest

While slope soaring near Zbyslavec, the pilot of an Orličan VSO 10 was seriously injured and the glider substantially damaged when he turned low over the slope into lee rotor behind the crest. The pilot knew the slope well; the wind was gusting to 46 km/h. He began the turn at 50–100 m AGL and 160 km/h; by its end the speed had fallen to 110–120 km/h and was still falling. Noticing he was in rotor, he tried to regain the slope by the shortest route, but speed and height ran out and the glider went down through the forest.

1. Aerotow for slope soaring: After flying three aerotows as tug pilot earlier that day, the pilot borrowed the owner's VSO 10 and was aerotowed from Podhořany to about 300 m AGL to soar the nearby slopes.
2. Slope soaring along the ridge: He flew twice to the Sloupno quarry and back, then twice along the main slope between Podhořany and the Lichnice castle ruin, with at least two other gliders on the slope.
3. Low turn behind the crest: Near Zbyslavec, at 50–100 m AGL above the slope, he began a turn at 160 km/h. During the turn the glider ended up behind the ridge crest, in the rotor on the lee side.
4. Speed decay in rotor: By the end of the turn the speed had fallen to 110–120 km/h and kept falling quickly. He noticed he was in rotor and tried to return over the slope by the shortest route.
5. Return to the slope not possible: Speed and height fell too fast for the manoeuvre and the glider sank into the forest. Seeing a tree trunk ahead, he applied left rudder; the cockpit missed it, but the fuselage struck the tree.
6. Seriously injured; glider damaged: The glider went down through the trees at about 45° and buried its nose in the ground; the front fuselage was destroyed and the canopy shattered. The pilot was seriously injured.