What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Student pilot turned base to final but put spoilers in too FAR, aircraft went into a turbulent layer of wind coming off the hills, lost airspeed, the CFI thirkill took over, retracted the spoilers and tried to get more lift. There wasn't enough room left and the glider hit sagebrush and crash landed prior to the runway. Student stated that he pulled spoilers out all the way instead of adjusting them in. Student stated that he kind of panicked when downdraft hit them. This process killed the lift they had and drove them down too low to recover.
As the FAA filed it
STUDENT PILOT TURNED BASE TO FINAL BUT PUT SPOILERS IN TOO FAR, AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A TURBULENT LAYER OF WIND COMING OFF THE HILLS, LOST AIRSPEED, THE CFI THIRKILL TOOK OVER, RETRACTED THE SPOILERS AND TRIED TO GET MORE LIFT. THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ROOM LEFT AND THE GLIDER HIT SAGEBRUSH AND CRASH LANDED PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY. STUDENT STATED THAT HE PULLED SPOILERS OUT ALL THE WAY INSTEAD OF ADJUSTING THEM IN. STUDENT STATED THAT HE KIND OF PANICKED WHEN DOWNDRAFT HIT THEM. THIS PROCESS KILLED THE LIFT THEY HAD AND DROVE THEM DOWN TOO LOW TO RECOVER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.