What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While attempting an off airport landing, the aircraft impacted the ground hard in approximately a 15 degree nose down wings level attitude. The complete wings and center section carry through was found ahead of the fuselage at the impact site. (.19) on October 27, 2001, at 0930 central daylight time, a meester HP-14 glider, N8833, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing near the Sylvania Airport, Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight departed the Sylvania Airport for a local flight and was returning to land at the time of the accident. A witness to the accident reported that he was the tow-pilot for the accident glider for the accident flight. The witness stated that he towed the glider to 3,000-feet above ground level (AGL) and the glider released without any problems. The witness reported that after the successful tow he returned to the departure airp ort. The witness stated that he observed the glider enter the traffic pattern for runway 26 on a 45-degree entry to the downwind leg. The witness reported that the glider was, "... At or slightly below the normal traffic pattern altitude (800 ft AGL)... ." The witness stated that, "a little past midfield, she [the pilot] made a left 360 degree turn and re-entered the downwind leg." The witness estimated that the glider was approximately 500 feet AGL when it reentered the downwind leg. The witness reported that, "the turn to the base leg looked normal but she [the pilot] overshot the final approach to the south. She turned toward the final approach course and was headed back towards the approach end of the runway, coming in on about a 20-30 degree angle. At the point I expected her to make a left turn and line up on final, she continued to turn to the right and exited my view going roughly downwind eastbound. My estimate is that she was 100 to 150 feet AGL as she proceeded through the final approach course."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD IN APPROXIMATELY A 15 DEGREE NOSE DOWN WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE COMPLETE WINGS AND CENTER SECTION CARRY THROUGH WAS FOUND AHEAD OF THE FUSELAGE AT THE IMPACT SITE. (.19) ON OCTOBER 27, 2001, AT 0930 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MEESTER HP-14 GLIDER, N8833, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING NEAR THE SYLVANIA AIRPORT, STURTEVANT, WISCONSIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE SYLVANIA AIRPORT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT AND WAS RETURNING TO LAND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT HE WAS THE TOW-PILOT FOR THE ACCIDENT GLIDER FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE TOWED THE GLIDER TO 3,000-FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND THE GLIDER RELEASED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TOW HE RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRP ORT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE GLIDER ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 26 ON A 45-DEGREE ENTRY TO THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE GLIDER WAS, "... AT OR SLIGHTLY BELOW THE NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE (800 FT AGL)... ." THE WITNESS STATED THAT, "A LITTLE PAST MIDFIELD, SHE [THE PILOT] MADE A LEFT 360 DEGREE TURN AND RE-ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG." THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT THE GLIDER WAS APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL WHEN IT REENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT, "THE TURN TO THE BASE LEG LOOKED NORMAL BUT SHE [THE PILOT] OVERSHOT THE FINAL APPROACH TO THE SOUTH. SHE TURNED TOWARD THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND WAS HEADED BACK TOWARDS THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, COMING IN ON ABOUT A 20-30 DEGREE ANGLE. AT THE POINT I EXPECTED HER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND LINE UP ON FINAL, SHE CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND EXITED MY VIEW GOING ROUGHLY DOWNWIND EASTBOUND. MY ESTIMATE IS THAT SHE WAS 100 TO 150 FEET AGL AS SHE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.