What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 3, 1998, at approximately 1400 PDT, Grob N707NL, piloted by commercial pilot, william allen was conductiing a round robin glider flight originating from ephrata,WA. While attemptin to return to ephrata, the pilot was forced to land short of his destination due to loss of lift and while on final approach to a plowed farm field he attempted to go under a powerline striking one of the poles. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and canopy. The pilot was not injured. (.4)the pilot stated that the accident occurred while he was making an off-airport landing. He attempted to land next to a road in a plowed field. The terrain was rolling wheat fields, alternately plowed and in use. He stated that he was circling a house, looking for lift, when he made the decision to land. He widened his circle and flew north, parallel to the road. There was no indication of high winds, and he didn't have to crab the aircraft to correct his track over the ground. He stated that he turned toward the road and as he passed the mid-point of his turn to the intended final approach, he realized that he was being carried into the power wires on the FAR side of the road. He was at wire height and in about a 45 degree bank. He didn't think he could get over the wires and didn't want to increase bank angle, so he flew under the wires at about a 30 degree angle to the road. The right wingtip struck the pole, spinning the glider. He said the glider came to a stop, with its tail pointed 180 degrees from the direction of travel in the edge of a wheat field. He noted that within 30 minutes a thunderstorm came through the area.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 3, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 PDT, GROB N707NL, PILOTED BY COMMERCIAL PILOT, WILLIAM ALLEN WAS CONDUCTIING A ROUND ROBIN GLIDER FLIGHT ORIGINATING FROM EPHRATA,WA. WHILE ATTEMPTIN TO RETURN TO EPHRATA, THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION DUE TO LOSS OF LIFT AND WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO A PLOWED FARM FIELD HE ATTEMPTED TO GO UNDER A POWERLINE STRIKING ONE OF THE POLES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, RIGHT WING, AND CANOPY. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE HE WAS MAKING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND NEXT TO A ROAD IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE TERRAIN WAS ROLLING WHEAT FIELDS, ALTERNATELY PLOWED AND IN USE. HE STATED THAT HE WAS CIRCLING A HOUSE, LOOKING FOR LIFT, WHEN HE MADE THE DECISION TO LAND. HE WIDENED HIS CIRCLE AND FLEW NORTH, PARALLEL TO THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF HIGH WINDS, AND HE DIDN'T HAVE TO CRAB THE AIRCRAFT TO CORRECT HIS TRACK OVER THE GROUND. HE STATED THAT HE TURNED TOWARD THE ROAD AND AS HE PASSED THE MID-POINT OF HIS TURN TO THE INTENDED FINAL APPROACH, HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS BEING CARRIED INTO THE POWER WIRES ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE WAS AT WIRE HEIGHT AND IN ABOUT A 45 DEGREE BANK. HE DIDN'T THINK HE COULD GET OVER THE WIRES AND DIDN'T WANT TO INCREASE BANK ANGLE, SO HE FLEW UNDER THE WIRES AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE ROAD. THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE POLE, SPINNING THE GLIDER. HE SAID THE GLIDER CAME TO A STOP, WITH ITS TAIL POINTED 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL IN THE EDGE OF A WHEAT FIELD. HE NOTED THAT WITHIN 30 MINUTES A THUNDERSTORM CAME THROUGH THE AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.