What happened
A flight instructor and a student pilot were returning to the airport for landing after completing a session of airwork. During the final approach, the glider struck trees located near the runway.
According to the instructor, the student pilot assessed their altitude as being too high and responded by fully opening the dive brakes and initiating a moderate slip. The instructor intervened, instructing the student to close the dive brakes and end the slip. In an attempt to navigate the approach, the instructor aimed for a gap in the trees and applied a crab to counteract side drift while attempting to fly along the runway centerline. During this maneuver, both wingtips of the aircraft struck the trees.
The investigation
The instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures present in the glider at the time of the accident.