Incident Overview
While maneuvering for a landing on runway 26, a student pilot reported that he was too high on the downwind leg. To lose altitude, he extended the downwind leg and deployed the spoilers to their full position. During the turn onto base leg, he retracted the spoilers to half, believing he remained too high. The pilot then encountered a pocket of air that caused the glider to sink. In response, he fully retracted the spoilers.
Collision and Damage
While turning onto final approach, the left wing of the glider struck a tree. The impact caused the glider to spin to the left and come to rest in a tree approximately 25 feet above the ground. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the leading edges of both wings from tree impact. Both spoilers were found in the full extended position after the accident.
Pilot Report
The student pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.