SZ23 Glider (C-FQYI) – From the Investigator

The accident flight was part of the Air Cadet Gliding Program in Bromont, Quebec, in support of the summer glider pilot training and involved a solo cadet student glider pilot.

During the training flight, the cadet student pilot was preparing for landing on grass Runway 05 in Bromont. While on the base leg for the approach, the student pilot made a late turn to final and ended up misaligned with the grass runway. The aircraft was heading towards the take-off area which was located off to the left side of grass Runway 05. The student pilot made two attempts to regain proper runway alignment but was unsuccessful.

The glider touched down hard with a heading of approximately 110 degrees magnetic, about 60 degrees off to the right of grass Runway 05 heading. The hard touchdown caused the aircraft to bounce over a ditch running parallel to grass Runway 05. Also, the right wing and outrigger wheel hit the ground with energy, causing the glider to rotate 180 degrees. The glider came to rest entangled in a fence about 200 metres from the runway threshold.

The aircraft sustained very serious damage, and the student pilot was not injured.

The investigation did not reveal any evidence of technical factors with the aircraft or environmental factors that could have contributed to the accident. The investigation is now focusing on human factors.