What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5 at approximately 1815 UTC, a Glasflugel Kestrel glider departed shiflet field airport (9A9), marion, NC, for a local soaring flight. Weather conditions included visibility greater than 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at approximately 6,500 feet, and light surface winds.
The glider was aerotowed and released north of 9A9 at approximately 2,000 feet above ground level (AGL), or about 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL). The pilot maneuvered north and joined two other gliders circling in a thermal. The glider climbed to approximately 5,000 feet MSL before departing the thermal and proceeding northwest across the blue ridge parkway.
After manuevering in the area for a little while, the pilot felt that the thermal was disappating, made the determination to land and observed a grass airstrip later identified as strawberry ridge, a private airstrip near little switzerland, NC.
While approaching the airstrip, the glider descended and contacted trees during a left base turn to final. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest inverted in a wooded area on a steep slope.
The pilot exited the cockpit and remained near the wreckage until emergency responders arrived.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5 AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 UTC, A GLASFLUGEL KESTREL GLIDER DEPARTED SHIFLET FIELD AIRPORT (9A9), MARION, NC, FOR A LOCAL SOARING FLIGHT. WEATHER CONDITIONS INCLUDED VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 STATUTE MILES, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT APPROXIMATELY 6,500 FEET, AND LIGHT SURFACE WINDS.
THE GLIDER WAS AEROTOWED AND RELEASED NORTH OF 9A9 AT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), OR ABOUT 3,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE PILOT MANEUVERED NORTH AND JOINED TWO OTHER GLIDERS CIRCLING IN A THERMAL. THE GLIDER CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET MSL BEFORE DEPARTING THE THERMAL AND PROCEEDING NORTHWEST ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY.
AFTER MANUEVERING IN THE AREA FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THE PILOT FELT THAT THE THERMAL WAS DISAPPATING, MADE THE DETERMINATION TO LAND AND OBSERVED A GRASS AIRSTRIP LATER IDENTIFIED AS STRAWBERRY RIDGE, A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR LITTLE SWITZERLAND, NC.
WHILE APPROACHING THE AIRSTRIP, THE GLIDER DESCENDED AND CONTACTED TREES DURING A LEFT BASE TURN TO FINAL. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED TERRAIN AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A WOODED AREA ON A STEEP SLOPE.
THE PILOT EXITED THE COCKPIT AND REMAINED NEAR THE WRECKAGE UNTIL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARRIVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.