G 103 Twin II late outlanding from low approach; ground loop in crop

A Grob G 103 Twin II outlanded in a grain field near Windisch Bockenfeld (Germany) on a training flight; the student was seriously injured, the instructor uninjured, and the airframe substantially damaged. After about an hour out of Leuzendorf the crew set up an abbreviated downwind to RWY 08 in a gusty 090 degree wind at 20 kt. On final the instructor judged the height insufficient to clear a wood before the runway. At about 70 m AGL and 200 m short of the wood he turned right to outland in 60-70 cm crop. Touchdown was hard and the glider rotated about 180 degrees, with heavy wing, gear and canopy damage.

1. Training flight from Leuzendorf: Winch launch from Leuzendorf at 11:24 to ~390 m AGL for an instructional training flight; ~1 hour of soaring west of the airfield before return.
2. Gusty 090°/20 kt headwind: Very gusty wind from 090° at up to 20 kt made the approach to RWY 08 more difficult and increased the required height to clear obstacles.
3. Low on final, wood ahead: After an abbreviated downwind into a right base direct to final for RWY 08, the instructor recognized on final that the approach height was insufficient to clear a small wood before the runway.
4. Outlanding decision at ~70 m: At about 70 m height and ~200 m short of the wood, the instructor turned right toward the south to commit to an off-field landing in a nearby field.
5. Hard touchdown in tall crop: Touchdown in a grain field with 60–70 cm crop was hard; the glider then rotated abruptly through about 180° around its vertical axis on the ground (ground loop).
6. Heavy damage, student SI: Heavy structural damage to wings, landing gear and canopy; the rear fuselage tube was twisted off about 40 cm behind the registration. Student seriously injured; instructor uninjured. No technical defects found.