What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After tow release the pilot retracted the landing gear and proceeded in a south east direction still west of the ridge where he encountered significantly more sink than forecasted, between -500 and -800 fpm. The pilot immediately changed course heading northeast for the ridge where the forecast indicated lift consistent with the pilot's previous flights in the area. Now heading north along the east ridge, the sink was greatly reduced ranging between +100 and -300 fpm. Only briefly did the pilot observe lift in the anticipated +500 fpm range. When directly in line with runway 25 the pilot judged that he was too low to make a safe, extend final landing and was at that time experiencing significant lift so he continued north to gain more altitude for a safe return to the airport. However, the lift was not as strong as required. The pilot then turned toward the airport, aligning with several cumulus clouds along the way. Such clouds often produce lift which he needed for safe landing. These produced gains of +200 to +300 fpm but were too short in duration to provide the altitude required for even an extended base landing. The typical calm air sink rate of an ASW20 is -116 fpm but after crossing west over the River the pilot encountered wind shear induced sink rates of -300 to -600 fpm (peaking briefly as high as -1000 fpm) from the River all the way back toward the airport. Seeing that runway 25, the grass area to the north of 25 and the taxiway parallel to 25 were all available for an emergency landing, the pilot lowered the gear in an attempt to clear the last orchard and land on one of these three alternatives. The pilot failed to see the imbedded utility poles amidst the trees in the orchard on the north side of nunamaker road. The glider's landing gear was snagged by a cable supported by these poles bringing the glider to rest in the orchard on the south side of nunamaker road, approximately 500' from runway 25 at 14:07. The rapid deceleration caused by the cable and the close proximity to the trees in the orchard prevented the fuselage from impacting the ground, preserving the pilot from injury. The glider suffered extensive damage.
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As the FAA filed it
AFTER TOW RELEASE THE PILOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND PROCEEDED IN A SOUTH EAST DIRECTION STILL WEST OF THE RIDGE WHERE HE ENCOUNTERED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SINK THAN FORECASTED, BETWEEN -500 AND -800 FPM. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY CHANGED COURSE HEADING NORTHEAST FOR THE RIDGE WHERE THE FORECAST INDICATED LIFT CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOT'S PREVIOUS FLIGHTS IN THE AREA. NOW HEADING NORTH ALONG THE EAST RIDGE, THE SINK WAS GREATLY REDUCED RANGING BETWEEN +100 AND -300 FPM. ONLY BRIEFLY DID THE PILOT OBSERVE LIFT IN THE ANTICIPATED +500 FPM RANGE. WHEN DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH RUNWAY 25 THE PILOT JUDGED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW TO MAKE A SAFE, EXTEND FINAL LANDING AND WAS AT THAT TIME EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT LIFT SO HE CONTINUED NORTH TO GAIN MORE ALTITUDE FOR A SAFE RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, THE LIFT WAS NOT AS STRONG AS REQUIRED. THE PILOT THEN TURNED TOWARD THE AIRPORT, ALIGNING WITH SEVERAL CUMULUS CLOUDS ALONG THE WAY. SUCH CLOUDS OFTEN PRODUCE LIFT WHICH HE NEEDED FOR SAFE LANDING. THESE PRODUCED GAINS OF +200 TO +300 FPM BUT WERE TOO SHORT IN DURATION TO PROVIDE THE ALTITUDE REQUIRED FOR EVEN AN EXTENDED BASE LANDING. THE TYPICAL CALM AIR SINK RATE OF AN ASW20 IS -116 FPM BUT AFTER CROSSING WEST OVER THE RIVER THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR INDUCED SINK RATES OF -300 TO -600 FPM (PEAKING BRIEFLY AS HIGH AS -1000 FPM) FROM THE RIVER ALL THE WAY BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT. SEEING THAT RUNWAY 25, THE GRASS AREA TO THE NORTH OF 25 AND THE TAXIWAY PARALLEL TO 25 WERE ALL AVAILABLE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE PILOT LOWERED THE GEAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE LAST ORCHARD AND LAND ON ONE OF THESE THREE ALTERNATIVES. THE PILOT FAILED TO SEE THE IMBEDDED UTILITY POLES AMIDST THE TREES IN THE ORCHARD ON THE NORTH SIDE OF NUNAMAKER ROAD. THE GLIDER'S LANDING GEAR WAS SNAGGED BY A CABLE SUPPORTED BY THESE POLES BRINGING THE GLIDER TO REST IN THE ORCHARD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF NUNAMAKER ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 500' FROM RUNWAY 25 AT 14:07. THE RAPID DECELERATION CAUSED BY THE CABLE AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TREES IN THE ORCHARD PREVENTED THE FUSELAGE FROM IMPACTING THE GROUND, PRESERVING THE PILOT FROM INJURY. THE GLIDER SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
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NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.