What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was launched about 12:30 on Saturday,may 5,2018 from runway 29 Hartness northfeild Vermont airport (kvsf),with the glider being released from the towplane at 2300 above grounr level(AGL).winds were 10 mph gusting to 18 with scattered clouds at 8000 feet. The pilot was flying in the upwind quadrant approximately 10 miles from the airport. The pilot experienced several robust thermals which allowed much of the flight to be over 4000 feet(AGL).in the last minutes of the 90 minute flight the pilot attempted to connect with a cumulus(maker cloud) which was about six miles from the airport. An associated downflow from the thermal activity of the cumulus cloud resulted in the glider descending several hundred feet. The pilot stated "the sinking air had to be retraced without any other useful lift availible". The pilot then abandoned his attempt for lift and made a conscious decision to try and return to the airport. With virtually no lift the pilot selected a landable field on the west side of the airport. The aircraft made contact with tree tops before landing in the field which resulted in a hard landing and the aircraft flipping over. Pilot sustained minor lacerations to his head and hands. Pilot was transported to local aera hospital from the accident scene. The aircraft did sustain damage to both wings, vertical stabilizer, nose cone, and canopy.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS LAUNCHED ABOUT 12:30 ON SATURDAY,MAY 5,2018 FROM RUNWAY 29 HARTNESS NORTHFEILD VERMONT AIRPORT (KVSF),WITH THE GLIDER BEING RELEASED FROM THE TOWPLANE AT 2300 ABOVE GROUNR LEVEL(AGL).WINDS WERE 10 MPH GUSTING TO 18 WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 8000 FEET. THE PILOT WAS FLYING IN THE UPWIND QUADRANT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ROBUST THERMALS WHICH ALLOWED MUCH OF THE FLIGHT TO BE OVER 4000 FEET(AGL).IN THE LAST MINUTES OF THE 90 MINUTE FLIGHT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONNECT WITH A CUMULUS(MAKER CLOUD) WHICH WAS ABOUT SIX MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.AN ASSOCIATED DOWNFLOW FROM THE THERMAL ACTIVITY OF THE CUMULUS CLOUD RESULTED IN THE GLIDER DESCENDING SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. THE PILOT STATED "THE SINKING AIR HAD TO BE RETRACED WITHOUT ANY OTHER USEFUL LIFT AVAILIBLE". THE PILOT THEN ABANDONED HIS ATTEMPT FOR LIFT AND MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO TRY AND RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. WITH VIRTUALLY NO LIFT THE PILOT SELECTED A LANDABLE FIELD ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH TREE TOPS BEFORE LANDING IN THE FIELD WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR LACERATIONS TO HIS HEAD AND HANDS. PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO LOCAL AERA HOSPITAL FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT DID SUSTAIN DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, VERTICAL STABILIZER, NOSE CONE, AND CANOPY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.