VSO 10 catches a fence wire in tall grass after an outlanding touchdown

On a cross-country from Jaroměř over the Orlické hory, the pilot of a VSO 10 was uninjured when, after touching down on a meadow near Orlické Záhoří, the glider caught a fence wire in taller grass and swung round 180°; it was substantially damaged. After gliding across the ridge toward clouds without finding a climb, the pilot chose a large meadow, flew an inspection turn and landed from about 100 m AGL, faster than usual because of possible rotor from the ridge. Only after touchdown did the pilot see low posts in the grass and close the airbrakes to hop over, but the gear caught the steel wire and the right wing struck a post.

1. 140 km task, junior programme: The pilot was aerotowed from Jaroměř for a 140 km task in a junior support programme. In hard-to-read weather the pilot turned south of the direct line toward landable terrain and better clouds.
2. Glide across the ridge, no climb: After about 1 h 30 min the pilot left a thermal at 1,059 m AGL south of the Orlické hory ridge and glided across it on about 060° toward clouds, but found no climb.
3. Meadow chosen, faster approach: The pilot surveyed meadows, flew an inspection turn over a large one and landed from about 100 m AGL on 325°, faster than usual because of possible rotor from the ridge.
4. Fence seen only after touchdown: Only after touchdown did the pilot see low posts in the taller grass: a pasture fence of steel wire on wooden posts, hard to see from the air.
5. Airbrakes closed to hop over: To avoid the fence the pilot closed the airbrakes and tried to hop over it, but the landing gear caught the wire and the right wing's trailing edge struck a post.
6. 180° swing, fuselage buckled: The wire and the post strike swung the glider round 180°, and the wire stopped it. The tail cone buckled and the canopy frame cracked; the pilot was unhurt.