What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/10/2010, at approximately 1500 EDT, privacy data omitted, student pilot privacy data omitted, was towed aloft from Caesar Creek Soaring Club (2OH9) in a Schweizer glider sgs 1-26B for the purpose of solo practice. The aircraft, N2429W, s/n 361, is owned by three six one inc,privacy data omitted. After the take off/tow to an altitude of 2000 feet, the pilot stated that she headed to the north west of the glider port looking for lift. The pilot stated that she could not find a lot of lift and was in the vicinity of red stewart airfield (40I) when she started to return to the glider port (2OH9). She stated that she thought that she had enough altitude to make it back to the glider port approximately 2.3 (air) miles to the south east. At 1526 EDT, while on final approach to the glider port, landing to the east, the pilot was low over the trees at the west end of the runway. The left wing of the aircraft struck a tree top which caused the aircraft to yaw to the left on a heading of approximately 016 degrees. Lift was lost and the aircraft went into the woods, nose first, between several trees, breaking the tops out of several small trees and becoming entangled in the wild grape vines in the trees. The aircraft impacted the ground at an angle of approximately 80 degrees, crushing the nose of the aircraft. The pilot was unhurt due to the relatively light impact of the aircraft. The aircraft was hung up in the trees, in the nearly vertical position and remained that way until it was removed on Sunday, 07/11/2010. On 07/14/2010, inspection of the aircraft revealed that the metal nose cone was crushed, the fiberglass "boot cowl" was ripped and crushed, the underlying tube metal and bulkhead structure was bent, and the lower right side of the tubing had been ripped from the cluster weld. That particular welded cluster incorporates one of the tubes that is part of the tow hook attach structure. The wings had a few leading edge dents, the left wing tip having the most serious of the damage. The vertical stabilizer was dented and scratched with small tears in the metal on the leading edge and left side skin. The horizontal stabilizer appeared to be undamaged. The last annual inspection was complete on 07/01/2010 at red stewart airfield (40I) by privacy data omitted. Jlj 07/28/2010
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/10/2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS TOWED ALOFT FROM CAESAR CREEK SOARING CLUB (2OH9) IN A SCHWEIZER GLIDER SGS 1-26B FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLO PRACTICE. THE AIRCRAFT, N2429W, S/N 361, IS OWNED BY THREE SIX ONE INC,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AFTER THE TAKE OFF/TOW TO AN ALTITUDE OF 2000 FEET, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE HEADED TO THE NORTH WEST OF THE GLIDER PORT LOOKING FOR LIFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE COULD NOT FIND A LOT OF LIFT AND WAS IN THE VICINITY OF RED STEWART AIRFIELD (40I) WHEN SHE STARTED TO RETURN TO THE GLIDER PORT (2OH9). SHE STATED THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE GLIDER PORT APPROXIMATELY 2.3 (AIR) MILES TO THE SOUTH EAST. AT 1526 EDT, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE GLIDER PORT, LANDING TO THE EAST, THE PILOT WAS LOW OVER THE TREES AT THE WEST END OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE TOP WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE LEFT ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 016 DEGREES. LIFT WAS LOST AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO THE WOODS, NOSE FIRST, BETWEEN SEVERAL TREES, BREAKING THE TOPS OUT OF SEVERAL SMALL TREES AND BECOMING ENTANGLED IN THE WILD GRAPE VINES IN THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES, CRUSHING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS UNHURT DUE TO THE RELATIVELY LIGHT IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HUNG UP IN THE TREES, IN THE NEARLY VERTICAL POSITION AND REMAINED THAT WAY UNTIL IT WAS REMOVED ON SUNDAY, 07/11/2010. ON 07/14/2010, INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE METAL NOSE CONE WAS CRUSHED, THE FIBERGLASS "BOOT COWL" WAS RIPPED AND CRUSHED, THE UNDERLYING TUBE METAL AND BULKHEAD STRUCTURE WAS BENT, AND THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE TUBING HAD BEEN RIPPED FROM THE CLUSTER WELD. THAT PARTICULAR WELDED CLUSTER INCORPORATES ONE OF THE TUBES THAT IS PART OF THE TOW HOOK ATTACH STRUCTURE. THE WINGS HAD A FEW LEADING EDGE DENTS, THE LEFT WING TIP HAVING THE MOST SERIOUS OF THE DAMAGE. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS DENTED AND SCRATCHED WITH SMALL TEARS IN THE METAL ON THE LEADING EDGE AND LEFT SIDE SKIN. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER APPEARED TO BE UNDAMAGED. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE ON 07/01/2010 AT RED STEWART AIRFIELD (40I) BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. JLJ 07/28/2010
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.