Janus strikes trees on mountain outlanding after drag chute is jettisoned in error

Both occupants escaped unhurt, but the two-seater was destroyed after overshooting a mountain safety field and striking trees. Out of lift on a local Alpine flight, the crew committed to a difficult outlanding but flew the approach too high. On final the flying pilot called for the tail drag chute; the other pilot, with few hours on type and untrained on it, pushed the lever to the 'jettison' stop instead of deploy, releasing it. Still too high, both retracted the airbrakes and stretched over trees; the glider hit one and settled inverted in a river. The pilots had never agreed who was in command, and no drag-chute briefing was given.

1. Local Alpine soaring flight: Two pilots on a winch-launched local flight in turbulent mountain air.
2. No lift; outlanding committed: Unable to climb over the ridges, the crew committed to a difficult mountain safety field.
3. Approach flown too high: A tight downwind and a turn to lose height still left the glider high on final.
4. Drag chute jettisoned in error: Asked to deploy the tail chute, the untrained front pilot pushed the lever to the jettison stop, releasing it.
5. Airbrakes retracted to stretch: Still too high, both retracted the airbrakes and pulled up toward a field beyond a tree line.
6. Struck tree, inverted in river: The glider hit a tree and came to rest inverted in a shallow river; it was destroyed and both escaped.