What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Student was on 9th solo flight with no previous difficulties or incidents according to her instructor. Supervising instructor witnessing the landing stated that the student flew through a prominent dust devil while on short final which resulted in her losing control and ground looping the glider on touch down. Damage to the glider consisted of a broken left wing just inboard of the aileron and the tail cone bending at a point behind the wing root trailing edge until it was parallel to the left wing. Student received a fractured ankle.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) STUDENT WAS ON 9TH SOLO FLIGHT WITH NO PREVIOUS DIFFICULTIES OR INCIDENTS ACCORDING TO HER INSTRUCTOR. SUPERVISING INSTRUCTOR WITNESSING THE LANDING STATED THAT THE STUDENT FLEW THROUGH A PROMINENT DUST DEVIL WHILE ON SHORT FINAL WHICH RESULTED IN HER LOSING CONTROL AND GROUND LOOPING THE GLIDER ON TOUCH DOWN. DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER CONSISTED OF A BROKEN LEFT WING JUST INBOARD OF THE AILERON AND THE TAIL CONE BENDING AT A POINT BEHIND THE WING ROOT TRAILING EDGE UNTIL IT WAS PARALLEL TO THE LEFT WING. STUDENT RECEIVED A FRACTURED ANKLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.