What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot performed his first flight in the accident glider on 08-13-2011, the approach and landing were normal. According to witnesses, on 08-18-2011, the pilot had been out flying for about 2.5 hours, then on approach to landing made a pass over the airstrip at about 100 mph and 100 ft AGL. At the north end of the runway the aircraft pulled up to climb over powerlines and gain altitude for a teardrop turn back to the runway. Witness reports state that about halfway into the left turn the turn became tighter and the aircraft appeared to stall and spin performing 1 1/2 to 2 revolutions in the spin until imapct with the ground. The aircraft impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. The accident flight was the pilot's fourth flight in this aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT PERFORMED HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN THE ACCIDENT GLIDER ON 08-13-2011, THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE NORMAL. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, ON 08-18-2011, THE PILOT HAD BEEN OUT FLYING FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS, THEN ON APPROACH TO LANDING MADE A PASS OVER THE AIRSTRIP AT ABOUT 100 MPH AND 100 FT AGL. AT THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT PULLED UP TO CLIMB OVER POWERLINES AND GAIN ALTITUDE FOR A TEARDROP TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY. WITNESS REPORTS STATE THAT ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE LEFT TURN THE TURN BECAME TIGHTER AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STALL AND SPIN PERFORMING 1 1/2 TO 2 REVOLUTIONS IN THE SPIN UNTIL IMAPCT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE PILOT'S FOURTH FLIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.