ASK 21 hard outlanding after leaving home glide range

The rear pilot of an ASK 21 was seriously injured and the front pilot unhurt when the glider landed hard in a field near Stabio after leaving glide range of its home airfield; substantial nose damage. The two had launched from Calcinate del Pesce for a local flight in weak blue thermals — no nav chart, no flight planning, both with limited recent training. After ~2 h, near Chiasso at ~1000 m MSL, they realised they had left glide range and could not return. They diverted to a field at ~245 m AGL, which they mis-estimated as ~400 m AGL, and flew a steep final at ~110 km/h with full airbrakes, hitting the ground ~90 m before its far end.

1. Local soaring from LILC: Aerotow launch 13:57 LT from Calcinate del Pesce (LILC, Italy) in light north wind and weak blue thermals. Two pilots on board, alternating control of the Schleicher ASK 21 I-NIBO.
2. Limited training, no nav prep: Both pilots had low recent flying experience. Because they planned only a local flight, they carried no navigation chart or device and did no navigational planning.
3. Left the LILC glide range: After about 2 hours mostly east of LILC, near Chiasso at about 1,000 m MSL the pilots realized they could no longer glide direct to LILC and had already left the airfield's glide range.
4. Outlanding decision near Stabio: Pilot A took control to landing. The pilots identified two fields southwest of Stabio and reached the area at ~600 m MSL.
5. Misjudged AGL altitude: The pilots believed the field was near LILC's elevation, estimating their height at ~400 m AGL when it was actually ~245 m; they circled repeatedly before choosing a 200 m field.
6. Hot approach, full airbrakes: At ~450 m MSL (~95 m AGL), Pilot A initiated a continuous 270° right turn into final. Final approach northbound at ~110 km/h IAS with airbrakes fully extended at a steep approach angle.
7. Hard impact in the field: The glider hit the ground hard ~90 m short of the field's end and stopped 50 m further, with severe damage to the forward fuselage and nose gear; the rear pilot was seriously injured.