Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During the landing sequence, the student pilot pushed the control stick of the glider forward just before touchdown. This action resulted in the glider landing hard and bouncing about one foot back into the air. The student pilot then forced the glider onto the runway a second time, after which it bounced about five feet back into the air. In trying to recover from the second bounce, the student pilot forced the glider onto the runway a third time. When the glider again bounced back into the air, it pitched up to a degree such that the aft end of the fuselage contacted the asphalt runway. The student pilot then leveled the glider and allowed it to descend to the runway surface in a near level attitude. Both the composite tail boom and the composite vertical fin were cracked.
Source record
Factual narrative
During the landing sequence, the student pilot pushed the control stick of the glider forward just before touchdown. This action resulted in the glider landing hard and bouncing about one foot back into the air. The student pilot then forced the glider onto the runway a second time, after which it bounced about five feet back into the air. In trying to recover from the second bounce, the student pilot forced the glider onto the runway a third time. When the glider again bounced back into the air, it pitched up to a degree that resulted in the aft end of the fuselage coming in contact with the asphalt runway. The student pilot then leveled the glider off and allowed it to descend to the runway surface in a near level attitude. It was later determined that both the composite tail boom and the composite vertical fin were cracked.