What happened
The pilot was operating a glider on the third flight of the day, departing from Pleasant Valley. After being towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level and maintaining flight for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, the pilot entered the normal landing traffic pattern.
Upon turning onto the base leg, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was losing a great deal of altitude. In an attempt to reach the runway, the pilot immediately turned the aircraft sharply toward the airstrip rather than following a standard square base and final leg pattern. However, because there was insufficient altitude remaining to return to the strip and the descent was rapid, the pilot executed an off-field landing approximately 1/4 mile east of Runway 21. The pilot was not injured.
At the time of the event, local winds were reported from 210 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts reaching 16 knots.