What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider crashed in the mountains. (.4) the pilot had 30 hrs of total glider experience & was on his 1st flight in a Glaser-dirks DG-300 (a european, single place, production glider). He had been inactive in gliders for a year & had received 5 hrs of recurrency training in grob 102 & 103 gliders during the previous 5 days. His logbook contained an entry for the previous day's solo flight in a grob 102, which stated 'steep turns and stalls.' Subsequently, the glider crashed on rolling terrain in a nose-low attitude without appreciable forward motion. During impact, the nose was crushed & the fuselage failed about 3 ft aft of the cockpit. The aft fuselage & empennage were found lying inverted over the left wing. The canopy jettison control was found to have been pulled (released), & there were impact marks on the horizontal stabilizer leading edge at locations consistent with the canopy frame dimensions. Plexiglas from the canopy was found up to 300 yds away. The pilot was found seated upright in the cockpit with his parachute on & his seat belt restraint system fastened. Despite severe lacerations due to ground impact, there was no blood appar ent anywhere on the pilot's face. However, a large contusion (bruise) was found across the pilot's forehead, apparently sustained before ground impact, which was consistent with impact with the jettisoned canopy.
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS. (.4) THE PILOT HAD 30 HRS OF TOTAL GLIDER EXPERIENCE & WAS ON HIS 1ST FLIGHT IN A GLASER-DIRKS DG-300 (A EUROPEAN, SINGLE PLACE, PRODUCTION GLIDER). HE HAD BEEN INACTIVE IN GLIDERS FOR A YEAR & HAD RECEIVED 5 HRS OF RECURRENCY TRAINING IN GROB 102 & 103 GLIDERS DURING THE PREVIOUS 5 DAYS. HIS LOGBOOK CONTAINED AN ENTRY FOR THE PREVIOUS DAY'S SOLO FLIGHT IN A GROB 102, WHICH STATED 'STEEP TURNS AND STALLS.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER CRASHED ON ROLLING TERRAIN IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE WITHOUT APPRECIABLE FORWARD MOTION. DURING IMPACT, THE NOSE WAS CRUSHED & THE FUSELAGE FAILED ABOUT 3 FT AFT OF THE COCKPIT. THE AFT FUSELAGE & EMPENNAGE WERE FOUND LYING INVERTED OVER THE LEFT WING. THE CANOPY JETTISON CONTROL WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN PULLED (RELEASED), & THERE WERE IMPACT MARKS ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE AT LOCATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE CANOPY FRAME DIMENSIONS. PLEXIGLAS FROM THE CANOPY WAS FOUND UP TO 300 YDS AWAY. THE PILOT WAS FOUND SEATED UPRIGHT IN THE COCKPIT WITH HIS PARACHUTE ON & HIS SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM FASTENED. DESPITE SEVERE LACERATIONS DUE TO GROUND IMPACT, THERE WAS NO BLOOD APPAR ENT ANYWHERE ON THE PILOT'S FACE. HOWEVER, A LARGE CONTUSION (BRUISE) WAS FOUND ACROSS THE PILOT'S FOREHEAD, APPARENTLY SUSTAINED BEFORE GROUND IMPACT, WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT WITH THE JETTISONED CANOPY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.