Incident Summary
A glider pilot sustained serious injuries following a hard landing that occurred during an approach to a runway. The pilot reported that while on final approach with the air brakes deployed, he observed another glider positioned on the runway. In an attempt to clear the other glider, the pilot raised the nose of his glider but did not retract the air brakes. This action resulted in a hard landing, during which the pilot was seriously injured.
Pilot Account
According to a statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot explained that he was on final approach for landing with the air brakes extended when he noticed the other glider on the runway. He raised the glider's nose to avoid a collision but did not retract the air brakes. The flight at that point ended with a hard landing that caused the pilot's injuries.
Examination
A postaccident examination conducted by an FAA inspector revealed only minor damage to the glider's tail skid. The inspector found no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the glider. The glider itself remained largely intact aside from the tail skid damage, and no other issues were identified.