Incident Overview
A glider pilot conducted an off-airport landing in a large field after encountering sink during a flight that began with a tow release at 2,000 feet above ground level. The pilot reported that after releasing from the tow airplane, he turned south toward a ridge in search of orographic lift. He found only weak lift in that area and, unable to maintain altitude, turned back toward the departure airport.
Events Leading to Landing
While en route to the airport, the pilot encountered sink, which caused the glider to descend below the glide path to the runway. Recognizing that he could not reach the airport, the pilot initiated an off-airport landing to a large field. During the approach, he overflew a set of powerlines that were perpendicular to his glide path, then noticed a second set of powerlines also perpendicular to his path ahead. The pilot turned to avoid the powerlines, but encountered additional sink. He then leveled the wings and landed hard in the field.
Damage and Mechanical Status
The glider sustained substantial damage to the tailboom as a result of the hard landing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.