Flight Details
A solo instructional flight was in progress when the pilot encountered insufficient lift. The pilot decided to turn back toward the airport for landing. Due to low altitude, the pilot was unable to fly a normal pattern entry.
Attempted Landing
The pilot attempted a downwind landing, but before reaching the runway, other aircraft were departing. The pilot then paralleled the runway, still anticipating a normal landing. While turning toward the runway, the glider experienced an additional loss of altitude. Consequently, the pilot was unable to land on the runway.
Accident
The pilot attempted to glide to another landing spot, but the glider's left wing tip collided with a saguaro cactus approximately 250 to 300 yards short of the runway. The pilot had accumulated 1,053 hours of flight time in single-engine aircraft but only 11.9 hours in gliders. According to FAA records, the pilot held only a student pilot certificate.