SF 34 lands short of the strip without a flare and strikes its tail in a hollow

Training flight at Liberec: after spin practice, the pilot, on his third flight since an eight-month break, did not flare on final to the glider strip by RWY 34, and the SF 34 sank onto its main wheel 15 m short of the threshold; the crew of two was unhurt, the rear fuselage substantially damaged. He had flown the approach with full airbrakes at about 95 km/h, just below the handbook figure. The instructor shouted and pulled hard himself; the glider levelled but kept sinking. Ten metres on, the main wheel dropped into a 25 to 30 cm hollow, the nose wheel dug into its edge and the nose reared up, and the tail hit the ground hard.

1. Refresher flight with spin practice: Training with an instructor: after 30 minutes of spin and spin-avoidance practice the crew joined the circuit for RWY 34. For the pilot it was the third flight after an eight-month break.
2. Approach at about 95 km/h: Full airbrakes from the final turn at 100 km/h; when the pilot half-closed them, the instructor told him to leave them out. Aim point the threshold; speed in the last phase about 95 km/h, handbook 96.
3. No flare on final: In the last phase of the landing the pilot did not round out and the nose pointed at the ground. He could not say why; by his account the order to re-open the airbrakes may have distracted him.
4. Instructor pulls, glider sinks: The instructor shouted 'pull' and pulled sharply himself. The glider levelled but sank and landed hard on its main wheel about 15 m before the threshold markings of the glider strip beside RWY 34.
5. Main wheel drops into a hollow: After about 10 m of roll the main wheel dropped into a hollow 25 to 30 cm deep. Climbing out, the nose wheel dug into its edge, the nose reared up and the glider tipped onto its tail, which hit hard.
6. Rear fuselage cracked, crew unhurt: The glider bounced about 0.5 m, rolled another 10 m and settled. The fuselage shell between wing and tail was delaminated and cracked on top and both sides; neither crew member was hurt.