What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 28, 1999, about 1640 eastern standard time, a schempp-hirth discus a glider, N117TB, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Palmerton, Pennsylvania. The certificated private glider pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a federal aviation administration inspector, the pilot departed the beltzville airport, beltzville, Pennsylvania, under tow, for a local flight. While ridge soaring, the pilot elected to delay his landing back to the airport. The sun became low on the horizon, and the glider began to loose lift. The pilot attempted to fly the glider close to a ridgeline in an attempt to gain lift, but could not locate the ridgeline due to a glare through the windscreen. The glider began to descend and the pilot performed a forced landing to a parking lot. Approaching the parking lot, the left wing struck a tree, spinning the glider to the left. The glider then nosed into the ground, coming to rest upright. The sun set below the horizon at 1637. The winds reported at an airport 12 miles to the southeast were from 280 degrees at 5 knots. (.4)while ridge soaring, the pilot elected to delay his landing back to the airport. The sun became low on the horizon, and the glider began to loose lift. The pilot attempted to fly the glider close to a ridgeline in an attempt to gain lift, but could not locate the ridgeline due to a glare through the windscreen. The glider began to descend and the pilot performed a forced landing to a parking lot. The sun set below the horizon at 1637. (-23) the pilot departed beltzville, PA (14N), airport at approximately 1440 EST. He was ridge soaring for about two hours. The sun was setting. The pilot started losing lift and was experiencing sun glare. He elected to attempt an off-airport landing at the old Palmerton zinc co.(west plant). At about five to ten feet above the ground, the glider's left wing clipped a small tree causing the aircraft to spin to the left approximately 180 degrees. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 28, 1999, ABOUT 1640 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A SCHEMPP-HIRTH DISCUS A GLIDER, N117TB, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR PALMERTON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE GLIDER PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR, THE PILOT DEPARTED THE BELTZVILLE AIRPORT, BELTZVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNDER TOW, FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. WHILE RIDGE SOARING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DELAY HIS LANDING BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE SUN BECAME LOW ON THE HORIZON, AND THE GLIDER BEGAN TO LOOSE LIFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE GLIDER CLOSE TO A RIDGELINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN LIFT, BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE RIDGELINE DUE TO A GLARE THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN. THE GLIDER BEGAN TO DESCEND AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A PARKING LOT. APPROACHING THE PARKING LOT, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE, SPINNING THE GLIDER TO THE LEFT. THE GLIDER THEN NOSED INTO THE GROUND, COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE SUN SET BELOW THE HORIZON AT 1637. THE WINDS REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT 12 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST WERE FROM 280 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. (.4)WHILE RIDGE SOARING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DELAY HIS LANDING BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE SUN BECAME LOW ON THE HORIZON, AND THE GLIDER BEGAN TO LOOSE LIFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE GLIDER CLOSE TO A RIDGELINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN LIFT, BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE RIDGELINE DUE TO A GLARE THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN. THE GLIDER BEGAN TO DESCEND AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A PARKING LOT. THE SUN SET BELOW THE HORIZON AT 1637. (-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED BELTZVILLE, PA (14N), AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1440 EST. HE WAS RIDGE SOARING FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. THE SUN WAS SETTING. THE PILOT STARTED LOSING LIFT AND WAS EXPERIENCING SUN GLARE. HE ELECTED TO ATTEMPT AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING AT THE OLD PALMERTON ZINC CO.(WEST PLANT). AT ABOUT FIVE TO TEN FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE GLIDER'S LEFT WING CLIPPED A SMALL TREE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN TO THE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.