What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
An eye witness stated, "I observed the zuni sailplane traveling southbound on a downwind leg, he was very low, maybe 125 - 150 above the ground in close to the airport, and traveling somewhat slowly. The glider then appeared to slow down even more and began to make a turn to base leg (eastbound), but the airspeed was too low and the inside (left wing) stalled, the aircraft pitched down nearly vertical and made about a half turn of a spin before disappearing behind trees about 2000' southwest from my vantage point". The wreck was lying upside down with the nose pointing sse. The nose was broken off to one foot behind the its visual point and the instrument pod and various wreckage was spilled around the cockpit section.
As the FAA filed it
AN EYE WITNESS STATED, "I OBSERVED THE ZUNI SAILPLANE TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON A DOWNWIND LEG, HE WAS VERY LOW, MAYBE 125 - 150 ABOVE THE GROUND IN CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, AND TRAVELING SOMEWHAT SLOWLY. THE GLIDER THEN APPEARED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN MORE AND BEGAN TO MAKE A TURN TO BASE LEG (EASTBOUND), BUT THE AIRSPEED WAS TOO LOW AND THE INSIDE (LEFT WING) STALLED, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN NEARLY VERTICAL AND MADE ABOUT A HALF TURN OF A SPIN BEFORE DISAPPEARING BEHIND TREES ABOUT 2000' SOUTHWEST FROM MY VANTAGE POINT". THE WRECK WAS LYING UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE NOSE POINTING SSE. THE NOSE WAS BROKEN OFF TO ONE FOOT BEHIND THE ITS VISUAL POINT AND THE INSTRUMENT POD AND VARIOUS WRECKAGE WAS SPILLED AROUND THE COCKPIT SECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.