Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's stall/mush as a result of his inadequate airspeed and improperly planned final approach.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was towed by airplane to about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) when the towline broke. Unable to find lift, the student pilot returned to the departure airfield. He entered the traffic pattern at 800 feet agl and attempted to land. On approach, the wind speed increased from about 5 to 10 knots. The pilot misjudged his distance from the runway and stalled. The glider impacted the sandy terrain about 200 feet short of the runway. .
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 5, 2001, about 1507 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 1-34, N7605, owned and operated by the Phoenix Club, Inc., Anaheim, California, sustained substantial damage when it landed short of the runway at Krey Field, Adelanto, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the solo instructional flight, and no flight plan was filed. The student pilot was seriously injured. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated from the field about 1457. According to the pilot, he was towed by airplane to 4,000 feet mean sea level (about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl)), at which time the tow line broke. The line wrapped around the glider's left wing. Unable to find lift, the student pilot returned to the departure airfield, arriving at 800 feet agl. The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern to runway 09 and attempted to land. However, when the wind speed increased he misjudged his approach. The airplane touched down in a stalled attitude on the sandy terrain an estimated 200 feet short of the runway. The pilot estimated that the local wind was from the west. Its speed varied between 5 and 10 knots.