Accident to the PZL BIELSKO - SZD-51 registered F-CAJC on 03/10/2019 at Issoire Le Broc aerodrome (Puy-de-Dôme)

Cat. 2 investigation report: simplified-format report, adapted to the circumstances of the occurrence and the investigation stakes.

The pilot carried out a towed take-off from right-hand runway 36 for a local flight. After release, at an altitude of about 1000 m, she was unable to gain altitude and decided to return to the aerodrome. During the return flight, she experienced difficulty maintaining the glider's attitude and joined the downwind leg into runway 36. During the landing, she was unable to flare despite applying a firm nose-up input. The glider hit the runway hard with a nose-down attitude and came to a stop on the runway.

When reassembling the glider, the rigging of the elevator control was not properly secured. As the pilot had not received any specific training on this system, she was unable to detect this anomaly during the pre-flight checks. The control probably disconnected during the flight leading to the pitch control difficulties reported by the pilot. Under these conditions, the pilot was unable to flare correctly and the glider hit the runway hard with a nose-down attitude.