What happened
Following a glider flight lasting approximately one hour, a commercial pilot was on final approach to land on a 3,638-foot long by 300-foot wide turf runway. While performing the short final phase of the approach, the single-seat composite glider encountered severe sink. During this maneuver, the left wingtip of the aircraft impacted a tree.
The impact caused the glider to cartwheel before coming to rest in an upright position at the approach end of runway 25. Rescue personnel extricated the pilot from the aircraft; the pilot sustained minor injuries. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated 10 hours in this specific make and model, with a total of 31.6 hours in gliders.
Weather reported at the nearest airport station, located approximately 35 nautical miles north of the site, indicated winds from 220 degrees at 5 knots, gusting to 12 knots.
Findings
There were no mechanical anomalies reported regarding the aircraft's flight controls. The pilot noted that the encounter with severe sink led to the wingtip strike.
Safety message
The pilot recommended that glider pilots utilize an aim point at least 800 feet further down the runway when performing landings in the future.