Event ERA14CA031

Factual narrative

The pilot was conducting his second solo flight in the glider. Witnesses reported that the glider appeared fast while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing. The pilot stated that the glider was high on final approach and he lowered the nose and attempted a slip maneuver; however, the glider touched down hard, beyond the mid-point of the 2,260 foot-long runway. It then bounced, became airborne, and was still flying too fast to land on the remaining runway. In an attempt to avoid obstacles that were located beyond the end and right side of the runway, the pilot maneuvered to the left and the glider subsequently impacted trees. The right wing separated and the left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the glider. He further reported that he had accumulated about 530 hours of total flight experience, which included about 18 hours in gliders, and .5 hours in the same make and model as the accident glider. The pilot was conducting his second solo flight in the glider. Witnesses reported that the glider appeared fast while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing. The pilot stated that the glider was high on final approach and he lowered the nose and attempted a slip maneuver; however, the glider touched down hard, beyond the mid-point of the 2,260 foot-long runway. It then bounced, became airborne, and was still flying too fast to land on the remaining runway. In an attempt to avoid obstacles that were located beyond the end and right side of the runway, the pilot maneuvered to the left and the glider subsequently impacted trees. The right wing separated and the left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the glider. He further reported that he had accumulated about 530 hours of total flight experience, which included about 18 hours in gliders, and .5 hours in the same make and model as the accident glider. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
• F Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Total experience w/ equipment-Pilot - F