What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The following is a statement submitted by the pilot of this aircraft:"this was my first flight in this glider, and also my first in a flap only ship and in a high performance ship. In addition to the cockpit checkout from an instructor I had prepared with talks with several different pilots who had experience in both the pik 20 b and in other flapped only gliders. I took a tow to 5,000 feet in order to practice with the flaps. I practiced setting the flaps to 30, 45 and 90 degrees while maintaining an airspeed of 58 knots and the same on the way back to zero degrees. I practiced a simulated pattern and landing while at altitude. I entered the actual pattern for runway 34 at the usual ip at either 1000 or 1100 feet AGL (I cannot recall) and put in 30 degrees of flaps as advised. I had been told to fly an extra wide pattern, but I became concerned about falling short. In hindsight of course this was completely incorrect. So I ended flying a normal, to even short pattern and did not go to 45 degrees of flaps as I had planned. On final I was lined up correctly, but this is where I am not sure that I can accurately recollect all the events. I intended to go to 45 degrees of flaps with another rotation of the wheel and though that I had. I indirectly heard a report that my flaps were not in and it is possible that I actually went forward on the wheel and took them out. I do not think that this was the case, but it is possible. I do not know my airspeed at this point, but, in hindsight expect that it was too fast. Over the cross taxiway I was clearly coming in long, and, again in hindsight, probably too fast. A little later I thought that I was on the ground and rolling very fast towards the end.. Once again in hindsight this is rather inexplicable as I do not recall the landing bump. I did put the flaps forward to aim to get ground control and instantly found myself in the air and over the trees. I had practiced rope breaks with an instructor two weeks previously at franconia soaring association and did recognize that I was low over the trees. I made the conscious decision not to make a sharp turn back to the runway but to land in the trees. My landing in the trees, however was most probably with more energy than it should have had."
As the FAA filed it
THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY THE PILOT OF THIS AIRCRAFT:"THIS WAS MY FIRST FLIGHT IN THIS GLIDER, AND ALSO MY FIRST IN A FLAP ONLY SHIP AND IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE SHIP. IN ADDITION TO THE COCKPIT CHECKOUT FROM AN INSTRUCTOR I HAD PREPARED WITH TALKS WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT PILOTS WHO HAD EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE PIK 20 B AND IN OTHER FLAPPED ONLY GLIDERS. I TOOK A TOW TO 5,000 FEET IN ORDER TO PRACTICE WITH THE FLAPS. I PRACTICED SETTING THE FLAPS TO 30, 45 AND 90 DEGREES WHILE MAINTAINING AN AIRSPEED OF 58 KNOTS AND THE SAME ON THE WAY BACK TO ZERO DEGREES. I PRACTICED A SIMULATED PATTERN AND LANDING WHILE AT ALTITUDE. I ENTERED THE ACTUAL PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 34 AT THE USUAL IP AT EITHER 1000 OR 1100 FEET AGL (I CANNOT RECALL) AND PUT IN 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS AS ADVISED. I HAD BEEN TOLD TO FLY AN EXTRA WIDE PATTERN, BUT I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT FALLING SHORT. IN HINDSIGHT OF COURSE THIS WAS COMPLETELY INCORRECT. SO I ENDED FLYING A NORMAL, TO EVEN SHORT PATTERN AND DID NOT GO TO 45 DEGREES OF FLAPS AS I HAD PLANNED. ON FINAL I WAS LINED UP CORRECTLY, BUT THIS IS WHERE I AM NOT SURE THAT I CAN ACCURATELY RECOLLECT ALL THE EVENTS. I INTENDED TO GO TO 45 DEGREES OF FLAPS WITH ANOTHER ROTATION OF THE WHEEL AND THOUGH THAT I HAD. I INDIRECTLY HEARD A REPORT THAT MY FLAPS WERE NOT IN AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I ACTUALLY WENT FORWARD ON THE WHEEL AND TOOK THEM OUT. I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS WAS THE CASE, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE. I DO NOT KNOW MY AIRSPEED AT THIS POINT, BUT, IN HINDSIGHT EXPECT THAT IT WAS TOO FAST. OVER THE CROSS TAXIWAY I WAS CLEARLY COMING IN LONG, AND, AGAIN IN HINDSIGHT, PROBABLY TOO FAST. A LITTLE LATER I THOUGHT THAT I WAS ON THE GROUND AND ROLLING VERY FAST TOWARDS THE END.. ONCE AGAIN IN HINDSIGHT THIS IS RATHER INEXPLICABLE AS I DO NOT RECALL THE LANDING BUMP. I DID PUT THE FLAPS FORWARD TO AIM TO GET GROUND CONTROL AND INSTANTLY FOUND MYSELF IN THE AIR AND OVER THE TREES. I HAD PRACTICED ROPE BREAKS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR TWO WEEKS PREVIOUSLY AT FRANCONIA SOARING ASSOCIATION AND DID RECOGNIZE THAT I WAS LOW OVER THE TREES. I MADE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO MAKE A SHARP TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY BUT TO LAND IN THE TREES. MY LANDING IN THE TREES, HOWEVER WAS MOST PROBABLY WITH MORE ENERGY THAN IT SHOULD HAVE HAD."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.