What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)On September 5, 1999, about 1630 hours mountain standard time, a lithuanian factory of aviation Lak-12, N612LK, collided with obstacles on the ground while making a forced landing about 12 miles south of Prescott, Arizona. The glider, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged. The private pilot was not injured. The personal cross-country flight, conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, originated from the pleasant valley gliderport, peoria, Arizona, about 1430, and was en route to the coyote run gliderport in Prescott valley. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that the glider encountered an extremely heavy sink rate. He could not locate any thermals in the area so he decided to double back to an area where he had previously encountered strong thermal activity. He reported that he still didn't locate any thermals so he decided to look for a suitable landing location. He saw a dead-end service road that paralleled the highway and noted that the road had no traffic and was straight and long. The pilot reported that he made a normal landing, but the right wing clipped a road sign during the landing roll. He estimated that his speed at the time of the collision was approximately 25 to 30 knots. The glider ground looped and rolled onto a grassy knoll between the highway and the service road. The pilot reported that he hadn't experienced any mechanical malfunction with the glider prior to the accident. (-23)the pilot was on a cross-country flight in the Lak-12. The pilot experienced loss of lift in the area of cordes junction, AZ. He decided to land on a paved service road that is parallel to highway 69. The approach to landing and the landing rollout were nomal. At approx 30 to 40 knots on rollout the right wing hit a road sign and caused the aircraft to ground loop. Once the ground loop started he lost control of the aircraft and the left wing then came in contact with a stop sign. The aircraft came to rest in a median between the service road and highway 69. There was just the pilot on board and no injuries were stated. There was substantial damage done to both wings.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1999, ABOUT 1630 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A LITHUANIAN FACTORY OF AVIATION LAK-12, N612LK, COLLIDED WITH OBSTACLES ON THE GROUND WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTH OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA. THE GLIDER, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, ORIGINATED FROM THE PLEASANT VALLEY GLIDERPORT, PEORIA, ARIZONA, ABOUT 1430, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE COYOTE RUN GLIDERPORT IN PRESCOTT VALLEY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED AN EXTREMELY HEAVY SINK RATE. HE COULD NOT LOCATE ANY THERMALS IN THE AREA SO HE DECIDED TO DOUBLE BACK TO AN AREA WHERE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ENCOUNTERED STRONG THERMAL ACTIVITY. HE REPORTED THAT HE STILL DIDN'T LOCATE ANY THERMALS SO HE DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A SUITABLE LANDING LOCATION. HE SAW A DEAD-END SERVICE ROAD THAT PARALLELED THE HIGHWAY AND NOTED THAT THE ROAD HAD NO TRAFFIC AND WAS STRAIGHT AND LONG. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MADE A NORMAL LANDING, BUT THE RIGHT WING CLIPPED A ROAD SIGN DURING THE LANDING ROLL. HE ESTIMATED THAT HIS SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 KNOTS. THE GLIDER GROUND LOOPED AND ROLLED ONTO A GRASSY KNOLL BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY AND THE SERVICE ROAD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HADN'T EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE GLIDER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23)THE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT IN THE LAK-12. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF LIFT IN THE AREA OF CORDES JUNCTION, AZ. HE DECIDED TO LAND ON A PAVED SERVICE ROAD THAT IS PARALLEL TO HIGHWAY 69. THE APPROACH TO LANDING AND THE LANDING ROLLOUT WERE NOMAL. AT APPROX 30 TO 40 KNOTS ON ROLLOUT THE RIGHT WING HIT A ROAD SIGN AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP. ONCE THE GROUND LOOP STARTED HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LEFT WING THEN CAME IN CONTACT WITH A STOP SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A MEDIAN BETWEEN THE SERVICE ROAD AND HIGHWAY 69. THERE WAS JUST THE PILOT ON BOARD AND NO INJURIES WERE STATED. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DONE TO BOTH WINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.