What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ica Brasov IS-29D2 glider took off, was attempting to return to the arpt, landed in a field, and came to rest in a ditch, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the pilot said that he spoke with other pilots before the flight to determine the soaring conditions. The pilots he spoke with reported that the lift conditions were not great but were generally satisfactory. A glider instructor pilot told him that there were areas of lift and areas of sink out there, but that there shouldn't be a problem making the airport from where he was let go from the tow plane. The pilot stated that after release from the tow plane he experienced 'a little bit of lift and then a huge sink rate and couldn't make it over the ridge' that separated him from the airport. He realized that he would not make it back to the airport and attempted to make a forced landing southeast of the airport and collided with ground obstructions during the landing roll. (-23)pilot is highly experience in airplanes and newly rated in gliders. He released aero tow at an altitude of 8200 MSL (4000 feet AGL) approximatel y three miles southe on the intended landing airport. He encountered unexpectedly strong downdrafts and could not reach the airport. The best available field was selected for an off airport landing, and the glider was landed uphill and about ten knots downwind. During landing roll, the right ring struck sagebrush and the glider was pulled into an area of rocks and uneven terrain. The glider received substantial damage to the right wing spar and the left aileron. The nose cone and rear fuselage were buckled. (.19)on may 24, 1999, at 1225 hours PDT, an I.c. Brasov, IS-29D2, N8217A, sustained substantial damage when it made an off field landing in an open field 2.5 miles southeast of the mountain valley airport, Tehachapi, califormia. The glider. Operated by skylark north under 14 CFR part 91, was rented by the pilot. The commercial clider pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Tehachapi, California, at 1200 the day of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions were observed and no flight plan was filed. In a telephone interview by the safety board, the pilot said that after release fromt he tow plane he experienced, "a little bit of lift and then a huge sink rate and couldn't make it over the south side ofthe ridge.' He stated that he knew he couldn't make it back to the airport and attempted to make a forced landing southeast of the airport and collided with ground obstructions during the landing roll.
As the FAA filed it
ICA BRASOV IS-29D2 GLIDER TOOK OFF, WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, LANDED IN A FIELD, AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT HE SPOKE WITH OTHER PILOTS BEFORE THE FLIGHT TO DETERMINE THE SOARING CONDITIONS. THE PILOTS HE SPOKE WITH REPORTED THAT THE LIFT CONDITIONS WERE NOT GREAT BUT WERE GENERALLY SATISFACTORY. A GLIDER INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOLD HIM THAT THERE WERE AREAS OF LIFT AND AREAS OF SINK OUT THERE, BUT THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM MAKING THE AIRPORT FROM WHERE HE WAS LET GO FROM THE TOW PLANE. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER RELEASE FROM THE TOW PLANE HE EXPERIENCED 'A LITTLE BIT OF LIFT AND THEN A HUGE SINK RATE AND COULDN'T MAKE IT OVER THE RIDGE' THAT SEPARATED HIM FROM THE AIRPORT. HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AND COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS DURING THE LANDING ROLL. (-23)PILOT IS HIGHLY EXPERIENCE IN AIRPLANES AND NEWLY RATED IN GLIDERS. HE RELEASED AERO TOW AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8200 MSL (4000 FEET AGL) APPROXIMATEL Y THREE MILES SOUTHE ON THE INTENDED LANDING AIRPORT. HE ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTEDLY STRONG DOWNDRAFTS AND COULD NOT REACH THE AIRPORT. THE BEST AVAILABLE FIELD WAS SELECTED FOR AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING, AND THE GLIDER WAS LANDED UPHILL AND ABOUT TEN KNOTS DOWNWIND. DURING LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT RING STRUCK SAGEBRUSH AND THE GLIDER WAS PULLED INTO AN AREA OF ROCKS AND UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE GLIDER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING SPAR AND THE LEFT AILERON. THE NOSE CONE AND REAR FUSELAGE WERE BUCKLED. (.19)ON MAY 24, 1999, AT 1225 HOURS PDT, AN I.C. BRASOV, IS-29D2, N8217A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT MADE AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD 2.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY AIRPORT, TEHACHAPI, CALIFORMIA. THE GLIDER. OPERATED BY SKYLARK NORTH UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, WAS RENTED BY THE PILOT. THE COMMERCIAL CLIDER PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TEHACHAPI, CALIFORNIA, AT 1200 THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BY THE SAFETY BOARD, THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER RELEASE FROMT HE TOW PLANE HE EXPERIENCED, "A LITTLE BIT OF LIFT AND THEN A HUGE SINK RATE AND COULDN'T MAKE IT OVER THE SOUTH SIDE OFTHE RIDGE.' HE STATED THAT HE KNEW HE COULDN'T MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AND COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.