Pégase stalls on final of a low outlanding circuit

The pilot of a Pégase was seriously injured when the glider stalled on final of an outlanding and dropped into a dry riverbed short of the field. Tired, he had planned a dual flight but flew solo, about two hours high without oxygen. Low with no lift on the way back, he committed late to an unfamiliar field and flew a rushed, too-low circuit on the sheltered side, losing sight of the field; too late onto final, low and offset, he let the airspeed fall below the stall speed. Investigators cited no flight preparation, improvised plan changes and poor airspeed monitoring; fatigue from flying without oxygen possibly added to it.

1. Solo mountain flight, no oxygen: Feeling tired, the pilot flew the single-seater solo instead of the planned dual, and spent about two hours mostly above 2 500 m without oxygen.
2. Late decision to land out: Low with no lift, he decided late to land out in a field he did not know was a listed safety area.
3. Rushed, too-low circuit: He flew a too-low downwind on the sheltered side, lost sight of the field, and turned onto final too late — low and offset.
4. Airspeed decays, stall: Trying to regain the field line he let the airspeed fall below the stall speed and the glider stalled.
5. Landed short in a riverbed: It dropped into a dry, stony riverbed short of the field, clipping shrubs; the pilot was seriously injured.