A 73-year-old glider pilot was killed on Saturday afternoon, 17 October, when his glider crashed during take-off at the flying club airfield in Pruszcz Gdański, a town just south of the Baltic port city of Gdańsk in northern Poland14. "The 73-year-old glider pilot lost control of the aircraft during take-off and crashed to the ground. He died as a result of the accident," said Karol Kościuk, spokesman for the district police in Pruszcz Gdański12. Police are working at the scene under the supervision of a prosecutor, and the State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) has been notified24. No cause has been given.

What the emergency services found

Firefighters were alerted at about 17:45 local time24. According to the initial report to the fire service, the glider fell from a height of about 50 metres26. Radio Gdańsk, citing preliminary information, reported that it came down from a height of several tens of metres shortly after leaving the airfield3. Four fire crews were sent26. Rescuers pulled the pilot from the wreckage and began resuscitation, but a doctor from the emergency medical team pronounced him dead at the scene45. "Unfortunately, despite the rescue efforts, the man's life could not be saved," said Dawid Westrych, spokesman for the regional fire service headquarters in Gdańsk5.

Police officers secured evidence and began establishing the exact sequence of events24. The pilot's name has not been released. The authorities have not said which type of glider was involved, how it was launched or what the weather was at the time.

Two investigations, two different purposes

As in other EU countries, a fatal glider accident in Poland can lead to two separate investigations. The police and prosecutor examine whether anyone is criminally liable24. The safety investigation is a different process. Under EU Regulation 996/2010, every accident involving an aircraft that falls under the EU's common aviation safety rules must be the subject of a safety investigation in the country where it happened, and the sole objective of that investigation is "the prevention of future accidents and incidents without apportioning blame or liability"8. In Poland that task lies with PKBWL.

The regulation leaves the investigating body to decide how extensive each investigation is, taking into account the lessons it expects to draw, including for aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of 2,250 kg or less8. When a judicial investigation runs alongside, the investigator-in-charge must be told and keeps custody of the physical evidence8. The final report should be published if possible within 12 months; if it is not, the investigating body has to issue an interim statement at least on each anniversary of the accident8.

PKBWL regularly investigates glider accidents. At the same airfield, for example, it opened an investigation into an accident involving a Glaser-Dirks DG-100 glider in April 2024, in which the pilot was seriously injured7. There is no indication that that case is connected to Saturday's accident.

Take-off is one of the riskiest phases in gliding

EASA's most recent Annual Safety Review for sailplanes says that landing is the highest-risk phase of flight in sailplane operations and take-off the second highest11. The agency lists loss of control in flight among the most common occurrence categories for 2020 to 2024, and ranks aircraft upset (loss of control) first among the top safety risks for 2023 and 202411. On winch launches, EASA notes that "events develop quickly" and that margins can shrink fast, which is why it stresses coordination between the pilot and the ground crew11. These are general figures for European gliding and say nothing about what happened in Pruszcz Gdański.

What EU rules require of glider pilots

For pilots, the accident is a reminder of how glider flying is regulated in Europe. The EU sailplane licensing rules (Part-SFCL) set a minimum age of 16 for the sailplane pilot licence (SPL), but no maximum age9. To use the licence, a pilot must in the previous 24 months have flown at least five hours on sailplanes, including at least 15 launches and two training flights with a flight instructor, or have passed a proficiency check with an examiner9. Each launch method (winch, aerotow, self-launch, bungee) needs its own training, and to keep a method a pilot must have made at least five launches with it in the last two years, or two for bungee launches; otherwise the missing launches have to be flown dual or under an instructor's supervision9.

Age comes in through the medical certificate. SPL holders must hold a valid medical certificate appropriate to the privileges they use9. Under the EU medical rules, a LAPL medical certificate is valid for 24 months once the holder is over 40, and a class 2 certificate for 12 months once the holder is over 5010. Whether the pilot in Pruszcz Gdański held a licence and medical certificate under these rules has not been reported.

Frequently asked questions

Where and when did the glider crash?

At the flying club airfield in Pruszcz Gdański, near Gdańsk in northern Poland, on Saturday 17 October 2026. The emergency services were alerted at about 17:45 local time24.

What caused the accident?

That is not known. Police say the pilot lost control during take-off; the circumstances are being investigated by police under a prosecutor's supervision, and PKBWL has been notified24.

Who investigates glider accidents in Poland?

The safety investigation is carried out by PKBWL, Poland's State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation, under EU Regulation 996/2010. Its aim is prevention, not blame. Any criminal investigation is run separately by the police and prosecutors48.