SF 34 lands hard on its nose wheel after the pilot closes the airbrakes in a bounce

Landing at Liberec after a solo practice flight, the pilot of a Scheibe SF 34 was unhurt, but the glider was substantially damaged when corrections to a bounce led to more bounces and a drop onto its nose wheel. After a fast approach and a flare the report found misjudged, it touched the grass runway on its main wheel and bounced. Instead of easing the stick forward to let it settle, the pilot closed the airbrakes and the glider ballooned. The pilot pushed but reopened the airbrakes at the same time, and the glider sank and bounced; a large push then put the nose wheel onto the ground, and the glider bounced higher and fell from about 1 m.

1. Solo practice flight at Liberec: After a dual currency flight with an instructor, the pilot flew two solo aerotow flights from RWY 34 to practise finding and centring thermals near the airfield.
2. Fast approach: On the second flight the pilot approached at a higher speed, which by the pilot's account seemed acceptable given the wind; the instructor watching saw a normal approach.
3. Airbrakes closed after a bounce: After a misjudged flare the main wheel touched the grass and the glider bounced. The pilot closed the airbrakes instead of easing the stick forward, and the glider ballooned.
4. Two more bounces, the last higher: The pilot pushed but reopened the airbrakes at the same time, and the glider sank and bounced. After a large push the nose wheel struck the ground; it bounced higher, out of speed.
5. Nose-wheel impact; pilot unhurt: The glider fell from about 1 m onto its nose wheel and came to rest about 200 m from the RWY 34 threshold markings. The nose wheel was driven into the fuselage.