ASW 24 stalls and spins in a low turn back to the circuit

The pilot was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when an ASW 24 stalled and spun during a low turn back to the circuit. Returning from a local flight as the lift faded, the pilot arrived too low and, blown left of the runway axis, could not reach his right-hand downwind. He began a left half-turn to salvage a left-hand circuit at about 150 m with little stall margin. The glider stalled and spun twice to the left; he recovered and leveled the wings but was too low to pull out, striking the ground. Investigators attributed the stall to the low, slow turn, with gusts, downdrafts and a mis-set altimeter contributing.

1. Late, low return to the field: Returning from a local flight as the lift faded, the pilot arrived too low near the airfield.
2. Blown left of the runway axis: Drifted left of the runway 24 axis by the wind, he could not reach his intended right-hand downwind.
3. Low turn to salvage the circuit: He began a left half-turn to join a left-hand circuit, at about 150 m and a speed with little stall margin.
4. Stalled and spun in the turn: The glider stalled and spun twice to the left.
5. Recovered but too low: He stopped the spin and leveled the wings, but was too low to pull out of the dive.
6. Struck the ground: The glider struck the ground in a quarry left of the runway; the pilot was seriously injured.