Glasflügel 304 CZ catches a wing in the tall grass of a field picked from 300 m

Outlanding near Zdislava after the cumulus decayed on a cross-country from Liberec, a Glasflügel 304 CZ caught its left wing in grass 30 to 40 cm tall during the flare; the pilot was unhurt, but the glider swung through 180° and was substantially damaged. He had turned back near Cvikov and, at about 300 m above the ground, picked a meadow of about 1,000 by 300 m and landed towards the north. The fuselage broke, the tail came to rest under the left wing and the right wing root mounting was deformed. The field was unsuitable; from 300 m the grass height could not be judged.

1. Cross-country turned back: On a task from Liberec via Černá hora, Děčín and Vrchlabí the pilot found the cumulus decaying near Cvikov, judged the weather no longer fit for the flight and turned back towards Liberec.
2. Field picked from 300 m up: Between Zdislava and Křižany, at about 700 m QNH or 300 m above the ground, he decided to land out and chose a meadow of about 1,000 by 300 m that looked suitable.
3. Grass 30 to 40 cm tall: The meadow carried grass 30 to 40 cm tall. The investigator consulted glider pilots and concluded that grass height cannot be judged objectively from 300 m above the ground.
4. Left wing catches in the flare: Landing towards the north, the pilot flared and the left wing caught in the grass; the glider swung 180° to the left. He pushed the stick forward and it stopped.
5. Fuselage broken, tail under the wing: The fuselage broke, the fin and tailplane came to rest under the left wing, the right wing root mounting was deformed and the elevator damaged. The pilot was unhurt.