What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The student pilot was on a local solo flight from Sky Soaring Airport. He was towed to 4000 feet above ground level where he released from the towplane. After practicing some maneuvers, he encountered sinking air, and returned to the airport for landing. He was too low to make a normal pattern for landing. He attempted to go directly to runway 9, but he was too low to avoid power lines. He landed in a nearby field, but on touchdown the right wing struck a small tree. The glider sustained damage to the wing leading edge and the aft wing spar.
As the FAA filed it
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL SOLO FLIGHT FROM SKY SOARING AIRPORT. HE WAS TOWED TO 4000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHERE HE RELEASED FROM THE TOWPLANE. AFTER PRACTICING SOME MANEUVERS, HE ENCOUNTERED SINKING AIR, AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. HE WAS TOO LOW TO MAKE A NORMAL PATTERN FOR LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED TO GO DIRECTLY TO RUNWAY 9, BUT HE WAS TOO LOW TO AVOID POWER LINES. HE LANDED IN A NEARBY FIELD, BUT ON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A SMALL TREE. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE WING LEADING EDGE AND THE AFT WING SPAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.