Mini Nimbus C stall at 120 m — continued past field-landing decision height

A Mini Nimbus C crashed near Barlavington (West Sussex); the pilot was fatally injured. The pilot descended past the recommended field-landing decision heights without committing to a landing. At ~120 m AGL tight turns were initiated to thermal; on the third orbit the glider stalled with a wing drop, losing ~85 m. A high-g recovery was made; a wider right turn then tightened into a second stall at ~105 m AGL. Wings levelled but the glider struck the treetops and impacted the ground. AAIB cited the continued thermalling attempt below safe decision height.

1. Local soaring flight: The glider took off by aerotow at 0934 UTC on RWY 04. After release at about 610 m AMSL, the pilot climbed in two thermals to a peak altitude of ~1,160 m AMSL, then tracked west ~12 minutes through areas of average sink near -1 m/s, turning back east near Cocking around 1000 UTC at ~365 m AGL.
2. Challenging weather: Westerly winds 15-20 kt up to ~1,500 m AGL; light unstable north-westerly flow across the area. Other pilots that day described conditions as challenging, with strong wind gusts, areas of heavy sink, and strong westerly wind at height. Two members flying in the same area landed out two hours after the accident after encountering broad sink.
3. Past BGA field-landing heights: The BGA field-landing decision funnel teaches: 2,000 ft AGL = suitable area; 1,500 ft = start choosing fields; 900 ft = commit to circuit/landing. The glider transited an area of suitable open fields below these heights without the flightpath indicating any commitment to a field landing.
4. Thermal attempt at 120 m AGL: At approximately 120 m AGL the pilot initiated tight orbits in an apparent attempt to thermal rather than commit to a forced landing. Three orbits gained approximately 60 m.
5. First stall and wing-drop: Dynamic event during the orbit: maximum pitch ~25°, right roll ~70°, TAS increased from ~50 to ~85 kt; altitude loss approximately 85 m in four seconds. Approximately 3.4 g was recorded during the recovery to controlled flight at ~120 m AGL. AAIB: consistent with a wing-drop in stall — a characteristic of the Mini Nimbus C noted in the flight manual.
6. Second stall at ~105 m AGL: A wider right turn was flown and then tightened; data and wreckage orientation indicate a second loss of control consistent with the same stall/wing-drop pattern, again followed by an apparent recovery to wings level.
7. Treetop and ground impact: The glider struck the tops of trees (up to ~15 m tall) with the wings approximately level. The right wing was torn off at the root; the left wing broke in half but its outer section remained attached via the control tube. The fuselage continued forward and impacted the ground with significant force. Fatal injuries. AAIB: no causal or contributory technical issue identified; reason for the late landing-decision could not be determined.