# Accident 19980705015849A: Rolsch LS6, Llano, CA, July 5, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 5, 1998, 13:35 local time
- Place: Llano, CA
- Airport: Crystal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4792° N, 117.8801° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4792&lon=-117.8801&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6686, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6686-1998-10-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rolladen-Schneider LS-6 (registry code 3801260, https://openairdocs.org/model/rolladen-schneider-ls-6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROLSCH LS6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,186 total, 550 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA221](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA221) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980705015849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

RT AILERON OR WING WAS FLUTTER BEFORE GLIDER RELEASE. AFTER RELEASE WENT INTO RIGHT SPRIRAL. IMPACTED GROUND. (.4) THE GLIDER WAS TOWED ALOFT AND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE RIGHT WING OCILLATING. AFTER RELEASE ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET AGL, THE GLIDER WENT INTO A RIGHT SPIRAL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRPORT OWNER EXAMINED THE GLIDER AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THAT THE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING FOR THE RIGHT AILERON WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED. THE PILOT HAD REASSEMBLED THE GLIDER ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT AND DID NOT PERFORM A CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS BEING TOWED BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FOR LAUNCH. WITNESSES SAY THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IMMEDIATELY UNSTABLE. GLIDER RELEASED FROM TOW PLANE AND IMMEDIATELY MADE A RIGHT SPIRAL DESCENT INTO THE GROUND. (APPEARS THAT THE PILOT FORGOT TO CONNECT THE CABLE TO THE AILERON).

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA221](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA221), Jul 5, 1998: Rolladen-Schneider LS-6 (N6686), Llano, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to attach the aileron quick disconnect fitting during assembly of the glider and his inadequate preflight inspection.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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