20011103031819A

(-23) On November 3, 2001, at 1430 local, a scheicher glider, N19KH, owned and operated by william geiger crashed into trees on bald eagle ridge near cedar springs, PA. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed, but the pilot and only occupant was not injured. The flight originated at ridge soaring (79N). While thermaling over rising terrain, pilot geiger encountered a severe downdraft and was unable to maintain altitude. (.19) on November 3, 2001, at 1430 eastern standard time, a schleicher ASW-19, N19KH, was substantially damaged during a collision with trees while maneuvering near jersey shore, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at ridge soaring gliderport (79N), unionville, Pennsylvania, at 1300. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. In a written statement, the pilot said: "departed 79N on aerotow, released 1,800 MSL, climbed in thermal and ridge lift to 4,400 [feet] before departing NE for cross country soaring flight [and] proceeded NE a long bald eagle ridge to 2 miles east of P96. Reversed course to attempt return. On return, while circling in thermal lift upwind of ridge, contacted downdraft in portion of circle headed toward ridge. Lost altitude, bringing glider down to treetop level at top of ridge. [Was] unable to maintain bank angle due to wing tip proximity to treetops. Leveled wings and 'landed' on tree canopy and descended through treetops still level on 20-30 [feet] descent to ground." During a telephone interview, the pilot said the conditions became more challenging as he traveled northeast along the ridgeline. He stated: "as you fly past Piper memorial [airport], the ridge has breaks in it and it makes it more difficult to fly. But I wasn't flying ridge lift I was flying thermal lift. But I didn't think about how those breaks might create turbulence, and disturb the air I was flying in. When I reversed course, I was at about 3,500 feet but I was descending the whole time. If you get below the ridges, you are definitely not going to get the ridge lift, and the thermals are not going to be very good." The pilot said he was flying about 2,200 feet MSL and circling in a search for thermal lift. The pilot compared the circle he flew to that of the face of a clock, and that he flew in a counterclockwise direction. He said that at the 12 o'clock position, he was over the valley and about 2,000 feet. The pilot said that at the 6 o'clock position, he was over the ridge, and about 200 feet above the ground. According to the pilot: "at the point where I was 12 o'clock on the circle, I decided I would continue the turn. That is probably the irreversible part of the accident chain. The accident would not have happened if I had turned out over the valley instead of continuing the circle into the ridge. "As I approached the ridge, I hit a downdraft. I just started going down like I had deployed the dive brakes. As I got closer to the trees, I had to shallow out my turn, and as I shallowed my turn, the wind blew me further and further out over the ridge. The other factor was that I was at thermaling speed, so that the outcome was that I didn't have enough altitude or airspeed to overcome the downdraft. I think it was a mistake for me not to stay over the valley and look for lift there." The pilot was asked if he felt he could have reached jersey shore airport from the point where he circled, and terminated the flight there. He said: "I easily could have made it there. I get about 5 miles for every 1,000 feet of altitude. If I had left the ridge right there, and headed for jersey shore, I would have gotten there 1,000 feet above the ground. When I flew past it earlier, I even planned an approach in there. If I had completed the turn, I would have made it easily. But even if I didn't, I could have landed in plenty of good cornfields between the ridge and jersey shore." The pilot said he did not get a weather briefing from flight service. He said the normal routine is for the glider pilots at the gliderport to gather weather information from several weather sources and discuss conditions and flight plans in a group. The pilot held a private pilot's certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and glider. He reported 208 hours of total flight experience. The pilot also reported 101 hours of glider experience, 51 hours of which were in make and model. The pilot reported that an annual inspection of the glider was completed on the day of the accident, and that there were no mechanical deficiencies. At 1454, the weather reported at williamsport, Pennsylvania, ABOUT20 miles east of the accident site, included clear skies with the wind from 270 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 15 knots.