20030713027629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rolsch LS4 · Ashburnham, MA · July 13, 2003

Date: July 13, 2003 · 15:52 local
Place: Ashburnham, MA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N130MD
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC03CA157
Reported as: Rolsch LS4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 104 total30 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

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 July 13, 2003 at 19:52 gmt, a rollanden-schneider LS-4 glider, N130MD, received substantial damage when it crashed into the trees in Ashburnham, MA. The pilot, Mr. Harry william detrich received minor injuries. Mr. Detrich was on a cross country flight from sterling, MA to jeffrey, NH (monadnock mountain area) and was on the return leg to sterling, MA when he experienced a loss of thermal activity causing him to make an off airport landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 13, 2003 AT 19:52 GMT, A ROLLANDEN-SCHNEIDER LS-4 GLIDER, N130MD, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT CRASHED INTO THE TREES IN ASHBURNHAM, MA. THE PILOT, MR. HARRY WILLIAM DETRICH RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. MR. DETRICH WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM STERLING, MA TO JEFFREY, NH (MONADNOCK MOUNTAIN AREA) AND WAS ON THE RETURN LEG TO STERLING, MA WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF THERMAL ACTIVITY CAUSING HIM TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING.

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 NYC03CA157Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportAshburnham, MAThe pilot's improper in-flight decision to over fly a suitable landing area. Factors in this accident were weak thermal lift activity, and lack of suitable terrain at the time of the landing.Jul 13, 2003 · Substantial damage