20030919022369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Sphrth Cirrusstd · Lone Pine, CA · September 19, 2003

Date: September 19, 2003 · 14:00 local
Place: Lone Pine, CA
Airport: Lone Pine Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N71DA
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX03LA291
Reported as: Sphrth Cirrusstd
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N71DARegistration cancelled Dec 22, 2014 · Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUSS/N 145 · Built 1971 Airframe modelSchempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS Engine modelNONENone

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) The pilot had left home around 0430 in the morning for Lone Pine Airport. Pilot arrived at the airport around 1030 am. The pilot put the glider together and had not done a post assembly inspection or a preflight inspection of the aircraft. The spoilers were not connected in the assembly. When the glider was being towed, after takeoff, the tow pilot called back that the spoilers of the glider was open. The glider pilot did not respond. The tow pilot noted that the glider was flying erratically. The tow pilot tried to gain altitude, and once there was enough altitude, the tow pilot turned back towards the Lone Pine Airport. At that time, the glider pilot released from the tow plane and stated over the radio that he had a spoiler problem and that he was going to try to get back to the airport. The glider hit a high tension line, with his right wing tip. The glider was then spun around and landed flat below the power lines. The pilot was dead.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT HAD LEFT HOME AROUND 0430 IN THE MORNING FOR LONE PINE AIRPORT. PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AROUND 1030 AM. THE PILOT PUT THE GLIDER TOGETHER AND HAD NOT DONE A POST ASSEMBLY INSPECTION OR A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SPOILERS WERE NOT CONNECTED IN THE ASSEMBLY. WHEN THE GLIDER WAS BEING TOWED, AFTER TAKEOFF, THE TOW PILOT CALLED BACK THAT THE SPOILERS OF THE GLIDER WAS OPEN. THE GLIDER PILOT DID NOT RESPOND. THE TOW PILOT NOTED THAT THE GLIDER WAS FLYING ERRATICALLY. THE TOW PILOT TRIED TO GAIN ALTITUDE, AND ONCE THERE WAS ENOUGH ALTITUDE, THE TOW PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE LONE PINE AIRPORT. AT THAT TIME, THE GLIDER PILOT RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE AND STATED OVER THE RADIO THAT HE HAD A SPOILER PROBLEM AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO GET BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE GLIDER HIT A HIGH TENSION LINE, WITH HIS RIGHT WING TIP. THE GLIDER WAS THEN SPUN AROUND AND LANDED FLAT BELOW THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT WAS DEAD.

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 LAX03LA291Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLone Pine, CAthe pilot's inadequate assembly of the glider and improper preflight inspection, which resulted in an inadvertent deployment of the spoilers. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. His diverted attention to the control problems…Sep 19, 2003 · Substantial damage