| Crash location | 37.408056°N, 118.340555°W |
| Nearest city | Bishop, CA
37.363540°N, 118.395110°W 4.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N3617U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 27 Jun 2012 |
| Aircraft type | Schweizer Sgs 1-36 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that after 1.5 hours of soaring he was en route back to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture 2.1 miles northeast of the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to the right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
The glider’s encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing.