Ventus 2B stalls over a housing estate after a late outlanding decision

The pilot was lightly injured and the Ventus 2B destroyed when it stalled and hit the ground between two houses. Out of lift on a cross-country, he lost more than 400 m circling and turned toward a nearer airfield, flying on with the flaps still set for fast cruise. At about 34 m AGL he saw a power line beyond a motorway and broke right. He then picked a field behind him inside a housing estate and flew low over the rooftops to reach it, with no height left to plan a circuit or configure the glider. Rolling out of the turn the right wing dropped and the glider struck the ground almost vertically, badly damaging a house.

1. Cross-country from Tulln: The pilot launched from Tulln on his sixth flight of the day and worked west until the lift gave out.
2. Over 400 m lost circling: Circling near Herzogenburg he lost more than 400 m in a short time and, after radioing club colleagues, turned toward a nearer airfield.
3. Pressing on in fast-cruise flap: He flew on with the flaps set for fast cruise, following an expressway toward a motorway.
4. Power line forces a break right: At about 34 m AGL he saw a power line beyond the motorway and turned roughly 90 degrees right to avoid it.
5. Field chosen behind him over housing: He picked a cultivated field lying behind him inside a housing estate and flew low over the rooftops to reach it.
6. Wing drops rolling out over rooftops: With no height to plan a circuit, flaps still in cruise and the gear up, the right wing dropped as he rolled out and the glider hit the ground almost vertically.