What happened
On March 11, 2000, a Centrair 101 A glider, registration F-CHFK, was conducting a local flight near Oloron-Sainte-Marie. After approximately 15 minutes of flight, the pilot entered the landing circuit for runway 07, intending to touch down at the end of the first third of the runway.
During the final approach, the pilot realized the aircraft was too high. In an attempt to correct the glide path, the pilot intended to deploy the airbrakes. However, the pilot mistakenly manipulated the landing gear lever, which had been extended during a previous downwind leg. The pilot moved the lever back and forth, expecting to see the airbrakes deploy. This error resulted in a nose-down pitch, causing the airspeed to increase.
Believing a runway landing was no longer possible, the pilot initiated a 90-degree left turn to seek an alternative landing site in a field below the end of runway 07. Upon spotting livestock in the initial target field, the pilot selected a different area. The glider landed with the landing gear retracted. After traveling approximately 80 meters along the ground, the aircraft struck a tree, resulting in the destruction of the right wing.