VSO 10 touches down two thirds along the runway and ground-loops short of maize

Landing back at Kolín after three hours, the pilot of a VSO 10 shortened the circuit to leave the runway clear for a glider behind him; he was unhurt, but the glider was substantially damaged. The airbrakes proved weaker than those of the types he usually flew, a brief slip did little, and the touchdown came two thirds along at about 100 km/h. With 40 to 50 m of runway left and tall maize beyond, he deliberately put a wingtip down; the glider swung round, the outer wing lifted it off the ground, and it came down on the nose and then the tail.

1. Task given up, then local soaring: The pilot set off for Mladá Boleslav after an aerotow at Kolín, turned back near Milovice as the thermals weakened, and soared locally for about 90 minutes before landing 3 hours 20 minutes out.
2. Circuit shortened for traffic: At about 400 m above the airfield he heard another glider at a similar height whose pilot was under check on his first glass ship, and shortened his own circuit to leave the full runway free for it.
3. Airbrakes weaker than expected: He flew mostly types with much stronger airbrakes and expected a steeper descent. With the brakes fully out on final he saw at once that he would be long; the turn onto final had come early.
4. Slip does nothing, speed added: A slip of a second or two did almost nothing, as it does little on this type. He lowered the nose to get down, and the glider touched on its main wheel at about 100 km/h two thirds along.
5. Wingtip put down before the maize: The wheel brake took little speed off the ground run. With 40 to 50 m of runway left and tall maize beyond it, the pilot put the left wingtip on the ground rather than run into the crop head-on.
6. Lifted off in the ground loop: The glider swung left around the tip through about 180°, and lift on the accelerating outer wing raised it off the ground. It fell back onto the nose and then the tail, damaging both ends.