Twin Astir sinks into trees while slope soaring on a student pilot's third solo

The student pilot was seriously injured and the glider destroyed when it sank into wooded terrain while slope soaring. Cleared for a first solo that morning after two years of training, the pilot flew two circuits totalling 17 minutes and was then sent to soar the Koralpe and return. The pilot released at about 1200 metres MSL, gained no height and glided south-east in continuous sink, dropping below the minimum height over forest. The instructor radioed a warning not to fly in so far; moments later the left wing struck two spruces at about 16 and 14 metres, the glider swung 160 degrees and fell almost vertically.

1. Slope soaring task on a third solo: Cleared for solo that morning and having flown two circuits of 17 minutes in total, the pilot was given a task to soar the Koralpe ridge and return to the airfield.
2. Student pilot, 47 hours: The pilot was a student with about 47 flying hours and 209 landings, all on the type, after roughly two years of training.
3. No climb after release at 1200 m: The pilot released at about 1200 metres MSL near the Schoberkogel and worked the area for some minutes without any appreciable height gain.
4. Continuous sink towards the forest: The glide continued south-east with steady sink. A local downdraught could not be excluded as a contributing factor.
5. Below minimum height over trees: The glider dropped below the minimum height over wooded ground. The instructor radioed a warning not to fly so far in.
6. Wing torn off in the treetops: The left wing struck two spruces at 16 and 14 metres, tearing 2.2 metres off the tip. The glider swung 160 degrees, fell almost vertically and came to rest inverted. The pilot was seriously injured.