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19970809028699I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · SZD SZD41A · Warner Springs, CA · August 9, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 9, 1997 · 16:15 local
Place
Warner Springs, CA
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N42BD
Reported as
SZD SZD41A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
695 total550 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N42BDRegistration cancelled Jul 16, 2003 · Szybowcowy Zaklad Doswiadczaln 41A JANTAR STANDARDS/N B-713 · Built 1976Airframe modelSzybowcowy Zaklad Doswiadczaln 41A JANTAR STANDARDEngine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on August 9, 1997, at approximately 1615 PDT, stephen j. bralla landed at the Warner Springs, CA airport in N42BD, a szybowcowy zaklad doswiadcz model Szd-41-A glider. As the glider touched down, the horizontal stabilizer/elevator assemble departed the aircraft. The glider then climbed to approximately 10-15 feet and again settled to the runway, damaging the nose area and the tail wheel of N42BD. Bralla, the sole occupant, was not injured. No fire resulted. Inspection by the pilot indicated that a 12" to 14" locking pin was missing and could not be located in the immediate area. This pin fits into the top of the vertical stabilizer after installing the horizontal stabilizer and is locked in place by rotating this pin after inserting it fully into the mounting attachments. The locking device is a piece of spring steel that fits into a groove on the pin when it is rotated in a locked position. The pilot indicated that he does remember installing the pin, but that he may not have inserted it fully or he may not have rotated it completely so as to engage the locking device. A malfunction or defect report will be filed. This incident did not involve a NMAC or a pilot deviation.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON AUGUST 9, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 PDT, STEPHEN J. BRALLA LANDED AT THE WARNER SPRINGS, CA AIRPORT IN N42BD, A SZYBOWCOWY ZAKLAD DOSWIADCZ MODEL SZD-41-A GLIDER. AS THE GLIDER TOUCHED DOWN, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER/ELEVATOR ASSEMBLE DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE GLIDER THEN CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET AND AGAIN SETTLED TO THE RUNWAY, DAMAGING THE NOSE AREA AND THE TAIL WHEEL OF N42BD. BRALLA, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. NO FIRE RESULTED. INSPECTION BY THE PILOT INDICATED THAT A 12" TO 14" LOCKING PIN WAS MISSING AND COULD NOT BE LOCATED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. THIS PIN FITS INTO THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AFTER INSTALLING THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND IS LOCKED IN PLACE BY ROTATING THIS PIN AFTER INSERTING IT FULLY INTO THE MOUNTING ATTACHMENTS. THE LOCKING DEVICE IS A PIECE OF SPRING STEEL THAT FITS INTO A GROOVE ON THE PIN WHEN IT IS ROTATED IN A LOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DOES REMEMBER INSTALLING THE PIN, BUT THAT HE MAY NOT HAVE INSERTED IT FULLY OR HE MAY NOT HAVE ROTATED IT COMPLETELY SO AS TO ENGAGE THE LOCKING DEVICE. A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT WILL BE FILED. THIS INCIDENT DID NOT INVOLVE A NMAC OR A PILOT DEVIATION.