What happened
A glider was towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet before being released for flight. After flying along a ridgeline for approximately 30 minutes, the pilot encountered dissipating lift and decided to attempt an off-airport landing in a nearby cornfield.
While performing a turn from the base leg to the final approach, the aircraft impacted trees before coming to rest in the field. The impact caused the outboard six feet of the left wing to separate from the aircraft and resulted in damage to the fuselage. The pilot, who possessed 3,400 hours of total glider flight experience including 300 hours in this specific make and model, was not injured.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot extended the downwind leg too far during the approach and failed to adequately compensate for wind conditions. At the time of the accident, winds were reported at an airport located 22 miles north of the site, blowing from 290 degrees at 8 knots.