What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/19/2025 at 11:42 PDT during an instructional flight for practicing take offs and landings in the pattern, the glider was launched behind the tow aircraft. Using runway 25 for take off they climbed out under tow, made a 270 degree right turn and released over the airport at mid-field at approximately 1400’ AGL. After release the aircraft made the 180° right turn to fly about one mile to the north down wind, to make a u-turn back into the right 45 for landing runway 25 at 1600’ MSL. As the student was going through these steps under the cfi’s verbal direction, he observed that the aircraft had hit a bit of sink, and the altitude was about 1500 feet. The CFI also noticed the airspeed fluctuating indicating gusty winds. So the CFI had the student make the u-turn early and bypass the 45 degree approach normally used, going directly into downwind. This resolved the altitude concern the CFI had. This maneuver had the glider about 300 feet higher than normal and the speed brakes were deployed. The pilot encountered a steeper than normal rate of decent. The CFI realized that due to the rate of decent and low ground speed that they would not be able to land on the runway. The pilot observed the area available to land in, landed the glider in an orchard avoiding structures in the area hitting some trees causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/19/2025 AT 11:42 PDT DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR PRACTICING TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE PATTERN, THE GLIDER WAS LAUNCHED BEHIND THE TOW AIRCRAFT. USING RUNWAY 25 FOR TAKE OFF THEY CLIMBED OUT UNDER TOW, MADE A 270 DEGREE RIGHT TURN AND RELEASED OVER THE AIRPORT AT MID-FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1400’ AGL. AFTER RELEASE THE AIRCRAFT MADE THE 180° RIGHT TURN TO FLY ABOUT ONE MILE TO THE NORTH DOWN WIND, TO MAKE A U-TURN BACK INTO THE RIGHT 45 FOR LANDING RUNWAY 25 AT 1600’ MSL. AS THE STUDENT WAS GOING THROUGH THESE STEPS UNDER THE CFI’S VERBAL DIRECTION, HE OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD HIT A BIT OF SINK, AND THE ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 1500 FEET. THE CFI ALSO NOTICED THE AIRSPEED FLUCTUATING INDICATING GUSTY WINDS. SO THE CFI HAD THE STUDENT MAKE THE U-TURN EARLY AND BYPASS THE 45 DEGREE APPROACH NORMALLY USED, GOING DIRECTLY INTO DOWNWIND. THIS RESOLVED THE ALTITUDE CONCERN THE CFI HAD. THIS MANEUVER HAD THE GLIDER ABOUT 300 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND THE SPEED BRAKES WERE DEPLOYED. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A STEEPER THAN NORMAL RATE OF DECENT. THE CFI REALIZED THAT DUE TO THE RATE OF DECENT AND LOW GROUND SPEED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT OBSERVED THE AREA AVAILABLE TO LAND IN, LANDED THE GLIDER IN AN ORCHARD AVOIDING STRUCTURES IN THE AREA HITTING SOME TREES CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5786S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.