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20020815021879A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Scwzer SGS 1-26B · Hobbs, NM · August 15, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 15, 2002 · 15:45 local
Place
Hobbs, NM
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N696U
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA237
Reported as
Scwzer SGS126B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
116 total13 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N696URegistered now · Schweizer SGS 1-26BS/N 311Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 1-26B

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.

(-23) On 08/15/02, pilot amy pence (certificate number 463472775) was involved in an accident while operating Schweizer glider, registration number N696U. The accident occurred five miles east of Hobbs industrial airpark near Hobbs, NM. The pilot reported encountering light rain at an altitude of approximately 4300-FT. AGL. She then encountered a downdraft and began to los altitude rapidly. She conducted several turning maneuvers in search of thermal activity. The aircraft struck a fence, approximately 4 feet tall, made of steel pipe and 1/2 inch steel cable. The fence arrested the aircraft in midair. The pilot suffered a broken nose and lacerations to her forehead. (.4) on August 15, 2002, approximately 1545 mountain daylight time, a Schweizer sgs 1-26B glider, N696U, was substantially damaged when it struck a fence during a forced landing to a field near Hobbs, new Mexico. The private pilot, sole occupant of the glider, sustained serious injuries. The glider was registered to and operated by the Hobbs soaring society inc., of Hobbs. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The localflight departed from the Hobbs industrial airpark, near Hobbs, approximately 1330. The pilot reported that approximately 5 to 10 miles east of the airport, the glider was "thermaling" at 8,000 feet mean sea level (MSL). The glider encountered a downdraft with a rainshower, and subsequently, quickly lost altitude. Unable to locate a thermal to gain altitude, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. While attempting to land in the field, the glider struck a wire fence. The glider came to rest upright and tangled in the fence wire. The elevation at the accident site was 3,700 feet MSL. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, both wing spars were bent and the canopy was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 08/15/02, PILOT AMY PENCE (CERTIFICATE NUMBER 463472775) WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE OPERATING SCHWEIZER GLIDER, REGISTRATION NUMBER N696U. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED FIVE MILES EAST OF HOBBS INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK NEAR HOBBS, NM. THE PILOT REPORTED ENCOUNTERING LIGHT RAIN AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 4300-FT. AGL. SHE THEN ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND BEGAN TO LOS ALTITUDE RAPIDLY. SHE CONDUCTED SEVERAL TURNING MANEUVERS IN SEARCH OF THERMAL ACTIVITY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A FENCE, APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET TALL, MADE OF STEEL PIPE AND 1/2 INCH STEEL CABLE. THE FENCE ARRESTED THE AIRCRAFT IN MIDAIR. THE PILOT SUFFERED A BROKEN NOSE AND LACERATIONS TO HER FOREHEAD. (.4) ON AUGUST 15, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1545 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER SGS 1-26B GLIDER, N696U, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT STRUCK A FENCE DURING A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD NEAR HOBBS, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE GLIDER, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE GLIDER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE HOBBS SOARING SOCIETY INC., OF HOBBS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCALFLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE HOBBS INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK, NEAR HOBBS, APPROXIMATELY 1330. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT, THE GLIDER WAS "THERMALING" AT 8,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT WITH A RAINSHOWER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, QUICKLY LOST ALTITUDE. UNABLE TO LOCATE A THERMAL TO GAIN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN THE FIELD, THE GLIDER STRUCK A WIRE FENCE. THE GLIDER CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND TANGLED IN THE FENCE WIRE. THE ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 3,700 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, BOTH WING SPARS WERE BENT AND THE CANOPY WAS DESTROYED.

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 FTW02LA237Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHobbs, NMthe pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions which resulted in the loss of thermal lift. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Aug 15, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N696U · 1

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

Incident 19890506020429IForced/Precautionary Landing · Hobbs, NMEngine driven winch vapor locked and quit while under tow. Glider landed hard from low altitude.May 6, 1989 · Minor damage