It's dangerous to speculate on a situation like this so I'll just pose a few questions, recognizing that some will conclude I'm looking for a way to assign blame. I'm not.

1. Does it make sense that the airport-authority-required spotter's primary reason was to watch for powered aircraft taking off on the cross runway? Wouldn't landing aircraft (like the Baron) be visible to the glider launch crew? Or are the sight lines that restricted there?
2. The Court mentioned the Baron was making a simulated instrument approach.. The Baron pilot was well acquainted with the airport and the glider operation located there. Does a simulated instrument approach mean he was probably "under the hood" and therefore unable to scan the cross runway on final for possible glider traffic as he might otherwise have done? Since he was apparently not operating under an IFR flight plan, should there have been a safety pilot watching for conflicts? The co-pilot was a CFI but apparently disqualified for medical reasons.

Very sad situation, for everyone involved.

Chip Bearden