What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider lost elevator control and made an emerg landing in the desert. (.4) the glider impacted terrain and the pilot reported that he lost elevator control. The bolt connecting the pushrod to the elevator was found, but the attaching nut was not found. The european production glider had a total time of 4 hours since manufacture. The metallurgist who examined the bolt reported the first three threads of the accident bolt did not have debris in the roots; however, proper engagement of the locknut would cause six threads to be free of debris. An exemplar locknut in the hand-tightened only position (without engaging the blue plastic lining of the locknut) caused the nut threads to wipe material from the roots of the first three bolt threads
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER LOST ELEVATOR CONTROL AND MADE AN EMERG LANDING IN THE DESERT. (.4) THE GLIDER IMPACTED TERRAIN AND THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOST ELEVATOR CONTROL. THE BOLT CONNECTING THE PUSHROD TO THE ELEVATOR WAS FOUND, BUT THE ATTACHING NUT WAS NOT FOUND. THE EUROPEAN PRODUCTION GLIDER HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 4 HOURS SINCE MANUFACTURE. THE METALLURGIST WHO EXAMINED THE BOLT REPORTED THE FIRST THREE THREADS OF THE ACCIDENT BOLT DID NOT HAVE DEBRIS IN THE ROOTS; HOWEVER, PROPER ENGAGEMENT OF THE LOCKNUT WOULD CAUSE SIX THREADS TO BE FREE OF DEBRIS. AN EXEMPLAR LOCKNUT IN THE HAND-TIGHTENED ONLY POSITION (WITHOUT ENGAGING THE BLUE PLASTIC LINING OF THE LOCKNUT) CAUSED THE NUT THREADS TO WIPE MATERIAL FROM THE ROOTS OF THE FIRST THREE BOLT THREADS
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.