Incident Overview
A glider experienced a runway excursion during a landing roll after a long landing. The flight was conducted by a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) who was demonstrating a landing approach without the use of dive-brakes.
Sequence of Events
The CFI reported that the glider touched down further along the runway than intended. During the landing roll, it became clear that the aircraft would not stop before the end of the runway. Fearing an overrun into a cornfield at the runway's end, the CFI deployed the dive-brakes and turned the glider to the right toward an open, flat field. However, the aircraft subsequently impacted between two trees on the right side of the runway.
Wreckage Examination
An inspection of the wreckage found no pre-accident anomalies with the flight controls. The investigation did not identify any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have contributed to the event.
Conclusion
The incident occurred when the glider landed long, and the evasive maneuver to avoid overrunning into a cornfield resulted in a collision with trees.