What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 11/23/01, at 1513 mountain standard time, a PIK-20D sailplane (N2078D) registered to and operated by Mr. Lee r. goettsche, jr., privacy data omitted sustained substantial damage in an off-field landing after a "premature termination of tow" (ptt) while departing the White Sands regional airport (alm), Alamogordo, NM on a pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the pleasure flight, which was part of a soaring rally, under 14 CFR part 91. The aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage structure when the pilot was unable to return to the airport after gusty winds caused an emergency release from the tow plane. Mr. Goettsche, who holds a commerical pilot certificate with private privileges in gliders, was not injured. (.4) the pilot reported that shortly after an aero tow takeoff the flight encountered a strong wind gust which "caused the glider to balloon dangerously high above the tow plane." The pilot elected to release the tow rope at approximately 200 feet above ground level. An immediate right turn was initiated to an intersecting runway. The glider did not have sufficient altitud e to make the runway and, subsequently, the right wing impacted small trees and the ground. The glider then ground looped 180 degrees and slid approximately 50 feet before coming to rest upright. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 350 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The automated weather observation facility on the airport reported the wind as from 210 degrees at 4 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 11/23/01, AT 1513 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIK-20D SAILPLANE (N2078D) REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MR. LEE R. GOETTSCHE, JR., ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN AN OFF-FIELD LANDING AFTER A "PREMATURE TERMINATION OF TOW" (PTT) WHILE DEPARTING THE WHITE SANDS REGIONAL AIRPORT (ALM), ALAMOGORDO, NM ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PLEASURE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS PART OF A SOARING RALLY, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE WHEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AFTER GUSTY WINDS CAUSED AN EMERGENCY RELEASE FROM THE TOW PLANE. MR. GOETTSCHE, WHO HOLDS A COMMERICAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH PRIVATE PRIVILEGES IN GLIDERS, WAS NOT INJURED. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER AN AERO TOW TAKEOFF THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG WIND GUST WHICH "CAUSED THE GLIDER TO BALLOON DANGEROUSLY HIGH ABOVE THE TOW PLANE." THE PILOT ELECTED TO RELEASE THE TOW ROPE AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN WAS INITIATED TO AN INTERSECTING RUNWAY. THE GLIDER DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUD E TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED SMALL TREES AND THE GROUND. THE GLIDER THEN GROUND LOOPED 180 DEGREES AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS FROM 350 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY ON THE AIRPORT REPORTED THE WIND AS FROM 210 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.