Flight Details
The pilot reported flying to an area located 6 miles northwest of the airport. While there, he encountered conditions described as "very little lift and lots of sinking air." He then continued southward in search of lift. After finding none, he decided to return to the airport and land. As his sink rate continued to increase, he made the decision to land in a farm field.
Landing Sequence
During the landing attempt, the pilot flew under a power line to avoid striking it. However, the left wing tip caught on the top line of a barbed wire fence. Subsequently, the glider collided with a mound of dirt. According to the glider's owner, the field that the pilot had flown over prior to the one he landed in was shorter in length but featured a paved parking lot. At the end of that field lay a gravel pit with dirt piled 8 to 10 feet high, separated from the landing field by a fence.
An FAA inspector noted that the pilot bypassed a predeveloped subdivision that included approximately 3,000 feet of paved, straight roadway. The inspector also indicated that the pilot had about 300 acres of open land in which to choose a suitable landing area. According to both the owner and the FAA inspector, the glider impacted the pile of dirt, struck the top of a fence, impacted the roadway, and traveled across the roadway before going through another fence.
Damage
The glider sustained damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, as well as to the leading edges of both wings. The spar was broken in the right wing, and the main keel of the fuselage was broken.