Incident Overview
A glider pilot, who possessed 206 hours of flight experience, was conducting a flight near the departure airport. According to the pilot's account, he released from the tow airplane at an altitude of 3,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) and remained in the vicinity of the departure airport.
Flight Progression
After descending to 1,000 feet MSL, the pilot entered the landing traffic pattern. The turns onto the base and final approach legs appeared to be normal. However, during the short final approach, the glider's rate of descent increased rapidly.
Collision
The glider subsequently collided with the roof of a building. The pilot reported that the surface wind was between 9 and 10 miles per hour (mph) and that the wind was not gusty.
Pilot Report
No other details regarding the aircraft, registration, operator, location, date, or time were provided. The pilot did not report any injuries or fatalities. The investigation focused on the pilot's account of the event.