What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Made normal approach to runway, too much speed, not full flaps. Pulled up to come back. Hit tree on completing turn (-23) on July 3, 1997, at 1445 CDT, an experimental reiffer RS-15 glider, N8032H, was substantially damaged while landing at a private airstrip near vilona, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the glider, sustained minor injuries. The homebuilt aircraft was owned and operated by a private individual under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from a private airstrip approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. The property owner (also a glider instructor) was a witness to the accident sequence. He reported that he observed the glider make an approach to the west runway and fly the entire length without losing enough airspeed to execute a landing. He stated that the flaps did not appear to be completely extended. He stated that the aircraft climbed to avoid a line of trees at the departure end of the runway and executed a steep right hand 180 degree turn back toward the runway. The radius of the turn displaced the aircraft to the south of the runway where a line of 60' trees stands. The aircraft impacted a 60' tree approximately 25 feet from the base of the tree. The wings and tail lodged in the tree and the fuselage came to rest in a creek bed approximately 30' from the tree.
As the FAA filed it
MADE NORMAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY, TOO MUCH SPEED, NOT FULL FLAPS. PULLED UP TO COME BACK. HIT TREE ON COMPLETING TURN (-23) ON JULY 3, 1997, AT 1445 CDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL REIFFER RS-15 GLIDER, N8032H, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR VILONA, ARKANSAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE GLIDER, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PROPERTY OWNER (ALSO A GLIDER INSTRUCTOR) WAS A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. HE REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED THE GLIDER MAKE AN APPROACH TO THE WEST RUNWAY AND FLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH WITHOUT LOSING ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO EXECUTE A LANDING. HE STATED THAT THE FLAPS DID NOT APPEAR TO BE COMPLETELY EXTENDED. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AVOID A LINE OF TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND EXECUTED A STEEP RIGHT HAND 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THE RADIUS OF THE TURN DISPLACED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY WHERE A LINE OF 60' TREES STANDS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A 60' TREE APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE TREE. THE WINGS AND TAIL LODGED IN THE TREE AND THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST IN A CREEK BED APPROXIMATELY 30' FROM THE TREE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.