What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While on the first flight and landing in a single place glider, the pilot flared higher than normal, stalled, landed hard, and severed the tailboom. The pilot stated that while on a turn from base to final, realized he was too high, and made two 360 degree turns. The pilot stated this resulted in a higher altitude due to thermal activity. The pilot entered into an immediate slip with spoilers. He stated that the slip resulted in a heading and flight path toward tall trees. The pilot then corrected heading/ flight path, loosing situational awareness of airspeed due to what the pilot stated as extreme maneuvering resulting in too high of flare and stall.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ON THE FIRST FLIGHT AND LANDING IN A SINGLE PLACE GLIDER, THE PILOT FLARED HIGHER THAN NORMAL, STALLED, LANDED HARD, AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON A TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, REALIZED HE WAS TOO HIGH, AND MADE TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS. THE PILOT STATED THIS RESULTED IN A HIGHER ALTITUDE DUE TO THERMAL ACTIVITY. THE PILOT ENTERED INTO AN IMMEDIATE SLIP WITH SPOILERS. HE STATED THAT THE SLIP RESULTED IN A HEADING AND FLIGHT PATH TOWARD TALL TREES. THE PILOT THEN CORRECTED HEADING/ FLIGHT PATH, LOOSING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF AIRSPEED DUE TO WHAT THE PILOT STATED AS EXTREME MANEUVERING RESULTING IN TOO HIGH OF FLARE AND STALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.