What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot, privacy data omitted, reported that he took a passenger for a glider ride. He said the normal altitude they release from the tow plane is at 4000'ABOVE ground level. The ground altitude at the Pleasant Valley Airport is approximately 1600'. He said many times he would set the altimeter to 0' before take-off and release when the altimeter read 4000'. On this flight he released when the altimeter read 4000', but before take-off the altimeter was set to the field barometric pressure instead of 0'. This means when the altimeter reached 4000' that the glider was at only 2400' above ground level. He stated that his mind was telling him he was at 4000', but his eyes were telling him he was lower. There were also strong winds from the northeast at the time and, as a result, he misjudged the approach to runway 5. When he realized he could not make the runway, he began to make a left turn toward a downwind direction to find a spot to land. This resulted in a faster than normal loss of altitude. According to privacy data omitted, the glider dropped rapidly from about 10'. The glider hit the ground hard in a south-southwesterly direction then spun around. The glider came to rest pointing north approximately 150' from the initial point of ground contact.privacy data omitted Received back injuries and was transported for medical care. His injuries are considered minor. His passenger was not badly hurt and refused medical treatment. The glider sustained substantial structural damage to the fuselage and left wing. There was also damage to both wing tips, tail wheel, both ailerons, elevator, wind screen, and nose section. Control system continuity was confirmed, but the aileron push-pull tube in the left wing was binding. This was due to the damaged wing causing interference with the tube. The primary cause of this accident is due to pilot error.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REPORTED THAT HE TOOK A PASSENGER FOR A GLIDER RIDE. HE SAID THE NORMAL ALTITUDE THEY RELEASE FROM THE TOW PLANE IS AT 4000'ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE GROUND ALTITUDE AT THE PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT IS APPROXIMATELY 1600'. HE SAID MANY TIMES HE WOULD SET THE ALTIMETER TO 0' BEFORE TAKE-OFF AND RELEASE WHEN THE ALTIMETER READ 4000'. ON THIS FLIGHT HE RELEASED WHEN THE ALTIMETER READ 4000', BUT BEFORE TAKE-OFF THE ALTIMETER WAS SET TO THE FIELD BAROMETRIC PRESSURE INSTEAD OF 0'. THIS MEANS WHEN THE ALTIMETER REACHED 4000' THAT THE GLIDER WAS AT ONLY 2400' ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. HE STATED THAT HIS MIND WAS TELLING HIM HE WAS AT 4000', BUT HIS EYES WERE TELLING HIM HE WAS LOWER. THERE WERE ALSO STRONG WINDS FROM THE NORTHEAST AT THE TIME AND, AS A RESULT, HE MISJUDGED THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5. WHEN HE REALIZED HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY, HE BEGAN TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TOWARD A DOWNWIND DIRECTION TO FIND A SPOT TO LAND. THIS RESULTED IN A FASTER THAN NORMAL LOSS OF ALTITUDE. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE GLIDER DROPPED RAPIDLY FROM ABOUT 10'. THE GLIDER HIT THE GROUND HARD IN A SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION THEN SPUN AROUND. THE GLIDER CAME TO REST POINTING NORTH APPROXIMATELY 150' FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF GROUND CONTACT.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECEIVED BACK INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED FOR MEDICAL CARE. HIS INJURIES ARE CONSIDERED MINOR. HIS PASSENGER WAS NOT BADLY HURT AND REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO BOTH WING TIPS, TAIL WHEEL, BOTH AILERONS, ELEVATOR, WIND SCREEN, AND NOSE SECTION. CONTROL SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED, BUT THE AILERON PUSH-PULL TUBE IN THE LEFT WING WAS BINDING. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DAMAGED WING CAUSING INTERFERENCE WITH THE TUBE.THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS DUE TO PILOT ERROR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.