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19991113047339A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Scwzer SGS 1-34 · East Lynne, MO · November 13, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 13, 1999 · 14:30 local
Place
East Lynne, MO
Airport
Richters Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7646
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI00LA033
Reported as
Scwzer SGS134
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,606 total31 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days
N7646Registration cancelled Oct 3, 2020 · Schweizer SGS 1-34S/N 26 · Built 1970Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 1-34Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) The pilot reported that while on short final to runway 18, at an altitude of 350 feet AGL, the glider encountered a gust of wind and it turned left of the runway heading. He elected to perform a 360 degree turn to the left to realign the glider with the runway heading. The pilot stated that while on a northerly heading turbulence and a sink rate were encountered. He was unable to level the wings and the glider stalled, impacting the terrain. A glider pilot who witnessed the accident reported the glider was landing to the north, downwind, when the accident occurred. He reported it was common for them to land with a tailwind of 10 knots of less to minimize ground handling. The glider wreckage was located southeast of the runway. The pilot reported the local winds were from the northwest at 2 knots. The witness reported the local winds were from 200 degrees at 10 knots. The winds reported 18 miles northwest of the accident site, 23 minutes after the accident, were from 220 degrees at 15 knots. (-23) aircraft had entered a right downwind to land on runway 36. On the base to final turn, witnesses observed the aircraft to be low. Instead of con tinuing the turn to final approach the pilot started a left turn back to the south. The aircraft then stalled and impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude, causing substantial damage to the aircraft and serious injury to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 18, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 350 FEET AGL, THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND AND IT TURNED LEFT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING. HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A 360 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT TO REALIGN THE GLIDER WITH THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING TURBULENCE AND A SINK RATE WERE ENCOUNTERED. HE WAS UNABLE TO LEVEL THE WINGS AND THE GLIDER STALLED, IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. A GLIDER PILOT WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THE GLIDER WAS LANDING TO THE NORTH, DOWNWIND, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE REPORTED IT WAS COMMON FOR THEM TO LAND WITH A TAILWIND OF 10 KNOTS OF LESS TO MINIMIZE GROUND HANDLING. THE GLIDER WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THE LOCAL WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 2 KNOTS. THE WITNESS REPORTED THE LOCAL WINDS WERE FROM 200 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS. THE WINDS REPORTED 18 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, 23 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WERE FROM 220 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. (-23) AIRCRAFT HAD ENTERED A RIGHT DOWNWIND TO LAND ON RUNWAY 36. ON THE BASE TO FINAL TURN, WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE LOW. INSTEAD OF CON TINUING THE TURN TO FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT STARTED A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND SERIOUS INJURY TO THE PILOT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI00LA033Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEast Lynne, MOinadequate airspeed and a subsequent stall. Factors associated with the accident were the tailwind, the pilot's misjudgment of the wind condition, and poor inflight planning.Nov 13, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7646 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19780805021599AFinal Approach · Grain Valley, MOAug 5, 1978 · Reported as Scwzer SGS126E · Substantial damage