LS4 pilot stalls in a sideslip after arriving high on final

The pilot was unhurt but the LS4's fuselage and main landing gear were badly damaged in a hard landing at Wiener Neustadt West. Turning final for RWY 18R the glider was still above the intended approach path with the airbrakes out, so the pilot retracted them and sideslipped at about 90 km/h with what the pilot called a "normal horizon picture". At around 50 m AGL the glider entered a stalled state, spreading from the right wing to the left. The pilot straightened out of the slip and extended the airbrakes again; at about 10 m the right wing dropped, the pilot could not stop it with opposite aileron, and the wing touched the ground.

1. Local flight in weak thermals: The LS4 was flown three times that day and thermals were weak throughout; the pilot had carried out the pre-flight check personally.
2. High on final with the brakes out: After turning from base onto final for RWY 18R, the glider was still above the intended approach path even with the airbrakes extended.
3. Pilot retracts brakes to sideslip: The pilot retracted the airbrakes and began a sideslip at about 90 km/h, with what the pilot called a "normal horizon picture".
4. Stalled state at about 50 m AGL: Still in the slip, the glider entered a stalled state that spread progressively from the right wing across to the left.
5. Slip stopped, airbrakes out again: The pilot straightened out of the sideslip and extended the airbrakes again. At about 10 m AGL the right wing dropped and opposite aileron did not stop it.
6. Wing touches, hard gear impact: The right wing touched the ground, the glider turned about its vertical axis and struck the ground sideways and hard on the main gear; fuselage and gear were badly damaged.