https://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/article213864104.html

The NTSB issued a three-page preliminary crash report. A final
report is expected to be released in coming months.

Buchanan, 62, had performed his routine at airshows for years. It involved the
pilot seeming to fly his glider inadvertently past the plane performing an
aerobatic routine. The plane would make a series of close passes, eventually
cutting streamers attached to the glider, which was outfitted with smoke
canisters.

The plan called for the cable to remain attached to the glider for three passes
over the runway. The winch operator let out the cable and maintained tension as
the glider climbed to about 1,500 feet. Buchanan was to release the cable after
the third pass and then perform a series of gliding maneuvers down to the
ground.

"The winch operator stated that a few seconds after the turn, he looked up and
noticed the hang glider was about 500 feet below the altitude he would typically
expect to see it," the report said. "The hang glider then performed an
aggressive turning maneuver, and descended another 500 feet."

The winch operator released pressure on the cable, trying to make it easier for
Buchanan to maneuver. The glider climbed for a moment, rolled left and crashed
to the ground nose-down, the report said.

"Multiple witnesses, including the Air Boss, who had seen the routine performed
many times before, all recounted similar observations and all stated that the
maneuvers after the third pass were completely unconventional and not part of
the routine," the report said.

The report does not say whether wind could have been a factor in the crash. The
report said wind was blowing at 3.5 miles per hour at the time of the crash.

The Pulse 10 Meter glider Buchanan was piloting was manufactured in 1995,
registration records from the Federal Aviation Administration say. It was last
certified for airworthiness in 2014, with its current certificate good through
April 2019.