What happened
A student pilot was conducting her first solo flight in a Schweizer SGS 2-33A glider. After releasing from the tow plane at approximately 3,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot returned to the gliderport. During the approach, the pilot descended below the established traffic pattern altitude due to misreading her altimeter.
Witnesses observed that the aircraft appeared very low while on the base leg of the pattern. The pilot overflew the runway approach path and executed a sharp turn to align with the runway centerline. During this maneuver, the glider fell from its flight path and overflew the runway. The aircraft struck a hangar wall and a tent support post before coming to rest on top of two ground support vehicles.
Findings
The pilot reported that there were no deficiencies regarding the performance or handling of the glider during the flight.