Accident Details
During a soaring contest, a glider pilot encountered an area where atmospheric lift was insufficient. Rather than jettisoning the glider's water ballast to reduce its sink rate and reversing course toward better outlanding fields, the pilot continued on the contest course and task. This decision ultimately led to a location where an off-airport landing was attempted on unsuitable terrain.
Sequence of Events
Immediately upon touchdown, the glider encountered several small boulders hidden in the grass. The left wing tip snagged in tall grass, resulting in a loss of directional control. During the ensuing ground loop, both wings sustained substantial damage, and the empennage tail boom separated from the main part of the fuselage.