Nimbus 2B strikes a tree short of the airfield on a final glide into a headwind

Returning to Plasy from a 328 km cross-country flight, the pilot of a Nimbus 2B was unhurt and the glider substantially damaged when its right wing struck a tree short of the airfield and it fell into a garden. On the final glide the margin shrank in a strengthening northerly headwind; 8 km out the glider was about 300 m above the airfield, and the pilot continued rather than land in a field. Unable to clear a row of trees, he banked right for a gap; the wing caught a tree at about 5 m and the glider slewed round and fell. The cause was given as the late ending of the flight while manoeuvring too low in an attempt to reach the airfield.

1. Final glide to Plasy: At 18:20, near the end of a 328 km cross-country flight, the pilot left the last thermal about 7 km north of Klatovy at 1,800 m MSL and began the final glide to Plasy.
2. Margin shrinks in a headwind: The northerly wind strengthened as the glider descended. At 18:48, 8 km out, it was about 300 m above the airfield; the pilot later said the reserve was falling towards zero.
3. Final glide continued past a field: Instead of breaking off for a field beside Kaznějov, which he later said he should have taken, the pilot continued the straight-in approach towards RWY 03.
4. Avenue of trees ahead: Near Rybnice he dived along descending ground to gain speed and zoomed over the houses, but could not clear an avenue of trees along a road before the airfield.
5. Right turn for a 20 m gap: He banked right to pass through a gap of about 20 m between the avenue and a tall tree beside a house.
6. Wing strikes tree, glider falls: At 18:54 the right wing struck the tree crown at about 5 m AGL; the glider pitched up, slewed right and fell onto a fence. The cockpit section was destroyed.