Narrative:

I was thermalling the glider, a blanik L13, in spotty lift at 2000 ft about 1 mi from (but within sight of) the airport. There was another glider at the same altitude thermalling close by so I decided to leave that area. I headed away and at that point made the 1ST mistake by not taking a compass reading -- not realizing the direction I was heading away from the airport. I was flying through spotty lift, not really losing altitude. After flying about 2 mi away from the airport I got lift again and began to work it. It died out real quick however and I was still not much over 2000 ft. At that point I decided I had better get the airport in view. I circled and looked at the horizon in all directions but could not identify any landmarks. The whole area below was cornfields and all the landmarks -- the airport, 2 mi away, a race track 2 mi away and even fowlerville 7 mi away, all blended into the cornfields. By the time I got a compass heading I was in sink air and at 1500 ft. I had to look for a field to land in. The whole area was corn except for one small field I spotted that had horses in it. Fearful of hitting a horse, I picked the best cornfield I could see to land in. I set up a pattern at 1000 ft and flew it in as slowly as possible, flaring at just above corn high. I tried to hold the wings as level as possible and closed the dive brakes to prevent the plane from catching a wing and ground looping. The tail dropped down into the corn first, slowing the plane to stall speed. The nose then dropped into the corn and the plane came to a stop within 10 ft of touchdown. The touchdown, being cushioned by the corn under the wing, was a very soft landing. Damage was confined to the horizontal stabilizer, elevator and tail cone. The damage was minimal considering other similar lndgs in corn fields. Evaluation as to cause of problem: leaving area of spotty lift close to the airport to find better lift. Not paying attention to the direction I was flying. Finding spotty lift and thermalling again, unwittingly compounding the directional problem to come. Not realizing how everything in the distance blends into the cornfields at that altitude. (2000-1500 ft). Prevention suggestions: stressing to pilots, and each pilot stressing to himself, that whether flying straight or thermalling, keep direction, altitude and terrain, the 3 main concerns in your mind at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLIDER MAKES OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS THERMALLING THE GLIDER, A BLANIK L13, IN SPOTTY LIFT AT 2000 FT ABOUT 1 MI FROM (BUT WITHIN SIGHT OF) THE ARPT. THERE WAS ANOTHER GLIDER AT THE SAME ALT THERMALLING CLOSE BY SO I DECIDED TO LEAVE THAT AREA. I HEADED AWAY AND AT THAT POINT MADE THE 1ST MISTAKE BY NOT TAKING A COMPASS READING -- NOT REALIZING THE DIRECTION I WAS HEADING AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I WAS FLYING THROUGH SPOTTY LIFT, NOT REALLY LOSING ALT. AFTER FLYING ABOUT 2 MI AWAY FROM THE ARPT I GOT LIFT AGAIN AND BEGAN TO WORK IT. IT DIED OUT REAL QUICK HOWEVER AND I WAS STILL NOT MUCH OVER 2000 FT. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED I HAD BETTER GET THE ARPT IN VIEW. I CIRCLED AND LOOKED AT THE HORIZON IN ALL DIRECTIONS BUT COULD NOT IDENT ANY LANDMARKS. THE WHOLE AREA BELOW WAS CORNFIELDS AND ALL THE LANDMARKS -- THE ARPT, 2 MI AWAY, A RACE TRACK 2 MI AWAY AND EVEN FOWLERVILLE 7 MI AWAY, ALL BLENDED INTO THE CORNFIELDS. BY THE TIME I GOT A COMPASS HDG I WAS IN SINK AIR AND AT 1500 FT. I HAD TO LOOK FOR A FIELD TO LAND IN. THE WHOLE AREA WAS CORN EXCEPT FOR ONE SMALL FIELD I SPOTTED THAT HAD HORSES IN IT. FEARFUL OF HITTING A HORSE, I PICKED THE BEST CORNFIELD I COULD SEE TO LAND IN. I SET UP A PATTERN AT 1000 FT AND FLEW IT IN AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE, FLARING AT JUST ABOVE CORN HIGH. I TRIED TO HOLD THE WINGS AS LEVEL AS POSSIBLE AND CLOSED THE DIVE BRAKES TO PREVENT THE PLANE FROM CATCHING A WING AND GND LOOPING. THE TAIL DROPPED DOWN INTO THE CORN FIRST, SLOWING THE PLANE TO STALL SPD. THE NOSE THEN DROPPED INTO THE CORN AND THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP WITHIN 10 FT OF TOUCHDOWN. THE TOUCHDOWN, BEING CUSHIONED BY THE CORN UNDER THE WING, WAS A VERY SOFT LNDG. DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE HORIZ STABILIZER, ELEVATOR AND TAIL CONE. THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL CONSIDERING OTHER SIMILAR LNDGS IN CORN FIELDS. EVALUATION AS TO CAUSE OF PROB: LEAVING AREA OF SPOTTY LIFT CLOSE TO THE ARPT TO FIND BETTER LIFT. NOT PAYING ATTN TO THE DIRECTION I WAS FLYING. FINDING SPOTTY LIFT AND THERMALLING AGAIN, UNWITTINGLY COMPOUNDING THE DIRECTIONAL PROBLEM TO COME. NOT REALIZING HOW EVERYTHING IN THE DISTANCE BLENDS INTO THE CORNFIELDS AT THAT ALT. (2000-1500 FT). PREVENTION SUGGESTIONS: STRESSING TO PLTS, AND EACH PLT STRESSING TO HIMSELF, THAT WHETHER FLYING STRAIGHT OR THERMALLING, KEEP DIRECTION, ALT AND TERRAIN, THE 3 MAIN CONCERNS IN YOUR MIND AT ALL TIMES.

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.