What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The Scimitar glider, equipped with a flight date recorder was participating in a competition event at mifflin county airport (rvl). The recovered flight data indicated a steady altitude loss from 3,300 feet to 1,775 feet during the last five (5) minutes of flight. During that flight segment the pilot was attempting to fly up a vee shaped valley and cross the ridge at the head of the valley. Corrective maneuvers were not adequate to counteract loss of lift or unexpected downdraft conditions. The glider impacted trees on the mountain side, 325 feet from the top. The glider broke up upon impact with the vee of a large tree. The pilot was thrown from the wreckage and was fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE SCIMITAR GLIDER, EQUIPPED WITH A FLIGHT DATE RECORDER WAS PARTICIPATING IN A COMPETITION EVENT AT MIFFLIN COUNTY AIRPORT (RVL). THE RECOVERED FLIGHT DATA INDICATED A STEADY ALTITUDE LOSS FROM 3,300 FEET TO 1,775 FEET DURING THE LAST FIVE (5) MINUTES OF FLIGHT. DURING THAT FLIGHT SEGMENT THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY UP A VEE SHAPED VALLEY AND CROSS THE RIDGE AT THE HEAD OF THE VALLEY. CORRECTIVE MANEUVERS WERE NOT ADEQUATE TO COUNTERACT LOSS OF LIFT OR UNEXPECTED DOWNDRAFT CONDITIONS. THE GLIDER IMPACTED TREES ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE, 325 FEET FROM THE TOP. THE GLIDER BROKE UP UPON IMPACT WITH THE VEE OF A LARGE TREE. THE PILOT WAS THROWN FROM THE WRECKAGE AND WAS FATALLY INJURED.
Other reports on N12PX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.