Nick is correct on the first part - inadequate flight planning, multitasking in the cockpit (way too much communicating vs aviating and navigating), and leaving a safe outlanding option (dry lake bed) behind me while pushing ahead knowing I needed that “one last thermal” - and BELIEVING I WOULD FIND IT created a user made scenario where LUCK was the main ingredient (I got away with a broken knee and a few contusions) for the fact that I’m alive today.

As far as pressing the SOS on the PLB PRIOR to landing in “unlandable” terrain is something that did NOT cross my mind but something that I would CERTAINLY do and recommend to others for the simple fact that I could have easily lost consciousness during impact. In my opinion, the proper time to do so would be at approx 1k AGL . Any lower and I believe 99.9% of us will be (and rightly so) too intensely focused on the task of landing.

Have a great Memorial weekend everyone.