What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was soaring back from the king mountain area to the Mackay Airport, a distance of about 18 miles. The pilot stated that he had enough altitude to make the airport but in the distance of those 18 miles he began to experience many down drafts due to additional cloud cover. The pilot stated it became apparent that he would not make the Mackay Airport and made the decision to land off field. Off field landings in a glider are not ideal but are a normal event. The pilot chose a hay field that had recently been mowed. He set up for a landing in the outer ring and parallel to the wheel ruts of the center pivot irrigation system. Touchdown in the hay field was uneventful. During rollout a gust of wind raised the right wing. The left wing impacted the dirt and the aircraft ground-looped, fracturing the tail boom, splitting the vertical fin and causing minor damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the right aileron. The aircraft came to a stop and the pilot exited the aircraft uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS SOARING BACK FROM THE KING MOUNTAIN AREA TO THE MACKAY AIRPORT, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 18 MILES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE AIRPORT BUT IN THE DISTANCE OF THOSE 18 MILES HE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE MANY DOWN DRAFTS DUE TO ADDITIONAL CLOUD COVER. THE PILOT STATED IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE MACKAY AIRPORT AND MADE THE DECISION TO LAND OFF FIELD. OFF FIELD LANDINGS IN A GLIDER ARE NOT IDEAL BUT ARE A NORMAL EVENT. THE PILOT CHOSE A HAY FIELD THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN MOWED. HE SET UP FOR A LANDING IN THE OUTER RING AND PARALLEL TO THE WHEEL RUTS OF THE CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATION SYSTEM. TOUCHDOWN IN THE HAY FIELD WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING ROLLOUT A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE RIGHT WING. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE DIRT AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND-LOOPED, FRACTURING THE TAIL BOOM, SPLITTING THE VERTICAL FIN AND CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THE RIGHT AILERON. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP AND THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.