What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)During the landing, the left wing hit hard causing the glider to swing left. The left wing hit a tree about mid range of wing. Student hass been interviewed. Inspector privacy data omitted ahs requested that the student be given additional instruction. (Safety coordinator of the glider club, privacy data omitted, will coordinate.) (.4) on may 6, 2000, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer sgs 2-33, N5738S, registered to and operated by the north Florida soaring society, as a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight, crashed on landing at Herlong Airport, Jacksonville, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The glider incurred substantial damage, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated the same day, about 1400. The student pilot said that he was maneuvering the glider over the airport, performing steep turns to dissipate his altitude in order to land. He further stated that he had lost too much altitude, and ended up being too low with wires obstructing his path of flight, and as he maneuvered to avoid the wires, the glider lost lift, and fell towards the ground. He s aid that he then kept the glider's nose down until he got closer to the ground to prevent a tail wheel landing, but he landed in a slight right turn and the aircraft was damaged. An FAA inspector who examined the accident aircraft stated that during the landing, the left wing hit a tree and the spar was damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT WING HIT HARD CAUSING THE GLIDER TO SWING LEFT. THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE ABOUT MID RANGE OF WING. STUDENT HASS BEEN INTERVIEWED. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DA^ AHS REQUESTED THAT THE STUDENT BE GIVEN ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION. (SAFETY COORDINATOR OF THE GLIDER CLUB, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^, WILL COORDINATE.) (.4) ON MAY 6, 2000, ABOUT 1430 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33, N5738S, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE NORTH FLORIDA SOARING SOCIETY, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED ON LANDING AT HERLONG AIRPORT, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE GLIDER INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1400. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS MANEUVERING THE GLIDER OVER THE AIRPORT, PERFORMING STEEP TURNS TO DISSIPATE HIS ALTITUDE IN ORDER TO LAND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD LOST TOO MUCH ALTITUDE, AND ENDED UP BEING TOO LOW WITH WIRES OBSTRUCTING HIS PATH OF FLIGHT, AND AS HE MANEUVERED TO AVOID THE WIRES, THE GLIDER LOST LIFT, AND FELL TOWARDS THE GROUND. HE S AID THAT HE THEN KEPT THE GLIDER'S NOSE DOWN UNTIL HE GOT CLOSER TO THE GROUND TO PREVENT A TAIL WHEEL LANDING, BUT HE LANDED IN A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED. AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE AND THE SPAR WAS DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.