What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot encountered an area with 1,000 foot per minute sink rate during a glider flight from marfa to Van Horn, Texas, and could not get out of the area before he had descended to an altitude that required an off field landing, and selected a site 600 feet long by 150 feet wide. On downwind he spotted utility lines on the approach end, which called for a steeper approach. On final he saw a steel pipe fence line at the FAR end of the field, and diverted to an alternate field to avoid the obstacles. The alternate site was a rougher surface with vegetation and stones. At about one foot off the ground, his left wing caught a cactus and spun him to the left. The right wing scraped the ground and the main landing gear mounting was damaged by the side loads when it touched down. Another cactus cracked the canopy and the fuselage was damaged forward and aft of the main landing gear, because of the side loading. There was no injury to the pilot. He was wearing a lap and shoulder harness and had a parachute and an oxygen system. There was no ballast water loaded for this flight and there was no drag chute installed on this aircraft. He was participating in an annual glider wave camp conducted at marfa, Texas.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN AREA WITH 1,000 FOOT PER MINUTE SINK RATE DURING A GLIDER FLIGHT FROM MARFA TO VAN HORN, TEXAS, AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE AREA BEFORE HE HAD DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE THAT REQUIRED AN OFF FIELD LANDING, AND SELECTED A SITE 600 FEET LONG BY 150 FEET WIDE. ON DOWNWIND HE SPOTTED UTILITY LINES ON THE APPROACH END, WHICH CALLED FOR A STEEPER APPROACH. ON FINAL HE SAW A STEEL PIPE FENCE LINE AT THE FAR END OF THE FIELD, AND DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE FIELD TO AVOID THE OBSTACLES. THE ALTERNATE SITE WAS A ROUGHER SURFACE WITH VEGETATION AND STONES. AT ABOUT ONE FOOT OFF THE GROUND, HIS LEFT WING CAUGHT A CACTUS AND SPUN HIM TO THE LEFT. THE RIGHT WING SCRAPED THE GROUND AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR MOUNTING WAS DAMAGED BY THE SIDE LOADS WHEN IT TOUCHED DOWN. ANOTHER CACTUS CRACKED THE CANOPY AND THE FUSELAGE WAS DAMAGED FORWARD AND AFT OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SIDE LOADING. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. HE WAS WEARING A LAP AND SHOULDER HARNESS AND HAD A PARACHUTE AND AN OXYGEN SYSTEM. THERE WAS NO BALLAST WATER LOADED FOR THIS FLIGHT AND THERE WAS NO DRAG CHUTE INSTALLED ON THIS AIRCRAFT. HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN AN ANNUAL GLIDER WAVE CAMP CONDUCTED AT MARFA, TEXAS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.