What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot had completed cross country flight from sun valley, AZ (south of bullhead city, AZ) to Pleasant Valley Airport, Peoria, AZ. He states he entered the pattern for runway 23R. He deployed both spoilers and flaps as he turned final, as he felt he was a bit high. Almost immediately he experienced a high rate of descent (500-1000 fpm). He reacted by retracting his spoilers and flaps and pitching the nose down in an attempt to recover from the high rate of descent. He then saw that he was not going to clear power lines that run perpendicular to the runway off the end of runway 23. He turned the aircraft left to the south to attempt to make an emergency off-field landing. The rapid rate of descent never was able to be corrected. The pilot sustained no injuries. The aircraft impacted the ground with such a force that the fuselage had damage to forward floorboard, the landing gear got shoved up into the aircraft, the tail boom broke off, horizontal broke in half and outboard wing panels were damaged upon landing. The pilot states the winds at the airport that day were steady 8 to 10 mph out of the southwest. He feels that the reason he was not able to clear the power lines is that he encountered an excessive high sink area. This pilot has flown into and out of this airport, and is familiar with the airport and flight conditions. He states that the flight recorder aboard the aircraft recorded a 22 knot down-sink when he was on final. This down-sink is well outside of the glider's ability to continue normal flight on final. Pilot feels there were no mechanical problems with the controls as they deployed and retracted as commanded. Pilot states that there were two other gliders in the pattern ahead of him with no radios. He kept track of them to make sure they were not going to land on runway 23R. He states he went 100 to 200 ft longer than normal to give these aircraft room to land. However, he felt that he was too high, therefore this was why he needed to deploy the spoiler as soon as he turned onto final. There was no visible indication of the wind shear, and because of the position of the power lines in relation to his glide ability, he had no alternative but to turn the aircraft in a downwind condition to land.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT HAD COMPLETED CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SUN VALLEY, AZ (SOUTH OF BULLHEAD CITY, AZ) TO PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT, PEORIA, AZ. HE STATES HE ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 23R. HE DEPLOYED BOTH SPOILERS AND FLAPS AS HE TURNED FINAL, AS HE FELT HE WAS A BIT HIGH. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HE EXPERIENCED A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT (500-1000 FPM). HE REACTED BY RETRACTING HIS SPOILERS AND FLAPS AND PITCHING THE NOSE DOWN IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER FROM THE HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. HE THEN SAW THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO CLEAR POWER LINES THAT RUN PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 23. HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT TO THE SOUTH TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY OFF-FIELD LANDING. THE RAPID RATE OF DESCENT NEVER WAS ABLE TO BE CORRECTED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH SUCH A FORCE THAT THE FUSELAGE HAD DAMAGE TO FORWARD FLOORBOARD, THE LANDING GEAR GOT SHOVED UP INTO THE AIRCRAFT, THE TAIL BOOM BROKE OFF, HORIZONTAL BROKE IN HALF AND OUTBOARD WING PANELS WERE DAMAGED UPON LANDING. THE PILOT STATES THE WINDS AT THE AIRPORT THAT DAY WERE STEADY 8 TO 10 MPH OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. HE FEELS THAT THE REASON HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAR THE POWER LINES IS THAT HE ENCOUNTERED AN EXCESSIVE HIGH SINK AREA. THIS PILOT HAS FLOWN INTO AND OUT OF THIS AIRPORT, AND IS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT AND FLIGHT CONDITIONS. HE STATES THAT THE FLIGHT RECORDER ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT RECORDED A 22 KNOT DOWN-SINK WHEN HE WAS ON FINAL. THIS DOWN-SINK IS WELL OUTSIDE OF THE GLIDER'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE NORMAL FLIGHT ON FINAL. PILOT FEELS THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROLS AS THEY DEPLOYED AND RETRACTED AS COMMANDED. PILOT STATES THAT THERE WERE TWO OTHER GLIDERS IN THE PATTERN AHEAD OF HIM WITH NO RADIOS. HE KEPT TRACK OF THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE NOT GOING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 23R. HE STATES HE WENT 100 TO 200 FT LONGER THAN NORMAL TO GIVE THESE AIRCRAFT ROOM TO LAND. HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH, THEREFORE THIS WAS WHY HE NEEDED TO DEPLOY THE SPOILER AS SOON AS HE TURNED ONTO FINAL. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE INDICATION OF THE WIND SHEAR, AND BECAUSE OF THE POSITION OF THE POWER LINES IN RELATION TO HIS GLIDE ABILITY, HE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT IN A DOWNWIND CONDITION TO LAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8829A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.