Narrative:

Initially, I was scheduled to fly with another instructor and at the last min given another club member who was a student pilot. This was a cross country camp and I received about 2 hours of training prior to flight including information on how to thermal and that being too conservative can also be potentially unsafe. Even though I had not flown recently at airsailing, I reviewed the airfield diagram and the pattern procedures and felt comfortable. My lead pilot took off after me and instructed me to thermal after off tow and we (about 3-4 sail planes) would then get together for further instruction. The tow went fine. The other pilot and I decided I would fly up front. I got off tow about 6000 ft MSL (1700 ft AGL), a little lower than normal, however I felt it was a good thermal. I worked the thermal a little and then tried to fly some ridge. When flying ridge, I knew to turn away from the mountain. At this time I lost 200-300 ft and went back to where the thermal was. I decided on one more turn toward the thermal, after which I would return to the field. Unfortunately, I stopped thinking ridge and turned toward the mountain to work the thermal. At this time the winds shifted and I encountered some severe sink. My airspeed went from 60 KTS to 40 KTS and I impacted the ground. Both pilots only had minor injuries. Possible causal factors: physically not 100 percent, overtasked with too much information, did not get a thorough chkout for the new conditions, overrelied on my 4000 hours of jet time, my CFI-6 training was limited to basic and also overfixated on trying to thermal and lost situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLIDER PLT RUNS OUT OF LIFTING AIR AND LANDS ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN CAUSING ONLY MINOR DAMAGE AND INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS.

Narrative: INITIALLY, I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR AND AT THE LAST MIN GIVEN ANOTHER CLUB MEMBER WHO WAS A STUDENT PLT. THIS WAS A XCOUNTRY CAMP AND I RECEIVED ABOUT 2 HRS OF TRAINING PRIOR TO FLT INCLUDING INFO ON HOW TO THERMAL AND THAT BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE CAN ALSO BE POTENTIALLY UNSAFE. EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT FLOWN RECENTLY AT AIRSAILING, I REVIEWED THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM AND THE PATTERN PROCS AND FELT COMFORTABLE. MY LEAD PLT TOOK OFF AFTER ME AND INSTRUCTED ME TO THERMAL AFTER OFF TOW AND WE (ABOUT 3-4 SAIL PLANES) WOULD THEN GET TOGETHER FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION. THE TOW WENT FINE. THE OTHER PLT AND I DECIDED I WOULD FLY UP FRONT. I GOT OFF TOW ABOUT 6000 FT MSL (1700 FT AGL), A LITTLE LOWER THAN NORMAL, HOWEVER I FELT IT WAS A GOOD THERMAL. I WORKED THE THERMAL A LITTLE AND THEN TRIED TO FLY SOME RIDGE. WHEN FLYING RIDGE, I KNEW TO TURN AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN. AT THIS TIME I LOST 200-300 FT AND WENT BACK TO WHERE THE THERMAL WAS. I DECIDED ON ONE MORE TURN TOWARD THE THERMAL, AFTER WHICH I WOULD RETURN TO THE FIELD. UNFORTUNATELY, I STOPPED THINKING RIDGE AND TURNED TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN TO WORK THE THERMAL. AT THIS TIME THE WINDS SHIFTED AND I ENCOUNTERED SOME SEVERE SINK. MY AIRSPD WENT FROM 60 KTS TO 40 KTS AND I IMPACTED THE GND. BOTH PLTS ONLY HAD MINOR INJURIES. POSSIBLE CAUSAL FACTORS: PHYSICALLY NOT 100 PERCENT, OVERTASKED WITH TOO MUCH INFO, DID NOT GET A THOROUGH CHKOUT FOR THE NEW CONDITIONS, OVERRELIED ON MY 4000 HRS OF JET TIME, MY CFI-6 TRAINING WAS LIMITED TO BASIC AND ALSO OVERFIXATED ON TRYING TO THERMAL AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.